I'm Better With You
by Wicked42
Summary: Katara is captured, and Aang assembles the gang to get her back. (Katara x Aang. Sokka x Suki. One-sided (ish) Toph x Sokka. Zuko x Mai.) Angst and mild torture, but mostly just a lot of ass-kicking. Post-series.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So! This takes place... sometime. After the end of the series, for sure, but I have no idea when, exactly. I tried to get the details right, but it's such a big series that I probably screwed something up. So take it with a grain of salt. :P

Pairings include Katara x Aang, Sokka x Suki, one-sided Toph x Sokka, and Zuko x Mai. Although honestly, Suki doesn't actually show up in this fic. So yeah. That's happening.

Anyway. Enjoy!

* * *

**I'm Better With You**

**Part One**

Mai tilted her head and said, "You're going back on _that_?"

Katara glanced at the Water Tribe vessel docked before them. It wasn't grand enough to be a "ship." Really, it barely managed "boat." But it was a piece of home, and Katara was never worried about sailing the oceans.

"It's what I came in, Mai," she replied. Her tone was dry, amused.

The older woman squinted at the boat and shrugged. "Well, if you insist. Really, I think our airships could get you home faster."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of me," Katara replied, one eyebrow raised.

Mai didn't even look embarrassed. She just smirked.

Katara waved in dismissal and patted her bag. "All right, all right. I'm going. Thanks for these, Mai. I'll show them to Aang and we'll get back to you. The rebuilding is going to take a little longer, but hopefully we can keep the Fire Nation from going broke paying everyone back."

"Hopefully," Mai drawled. "I rather enjoy my life of luxury."

"I'm sure," Katara said, eyeing Mai's gold-woven robes. She stepped onto the boat and motioned for one of her men to raise the gangplank. "Hopefully the next time I see you, you'll be engaged."

"Zuko likes to take his time," Mai replied, examining her nails. Katara caught the disappointment in her voice, though, and she couldn't really blame the woman. Aang was only 14, but Zuko really had no excuse. She gave Mai a sympathetic smile and turned from the Fire Nation.

She only had a crew of three this trip, and they hoisted the sails with practiced ease. She pushed her hands to the deck and felt the water surge beneath them, urging the boat into the open ocean. When she glanced over her shoulder, Mai was already walking back to her entourage.

The Fire Nation was perfectly peaceful towards the Avatar and his "ambassadors." (It was the name Sokka had decided for their little team after the war's end, as a way of garnering respect wherever they went. It worked decently, but Katara still thought it was a bit pompous. The Avatar's _ambassadors_.)

Still, Katara was glad to be leaving. Years of hatred for the Nation felt engrained in her bones, and despite logic telling her otherwise, dismissing it wasn't so easy. She was fine with Zuko, and she could tolerate Mai, but sometimes the Fire Nation just overwhelmed her.

It was good to be heading home.

"With the currents, it shouldn't take us more than a day to arrive at the Earth Kingdom," one of the men said, approaching her with a bow. It was a Water Tribe boat, but these were Earth Kingdom citizens, on loan from the King himself. They all bowed when they saw her.

(Something else she thought pompous, but she'd given up trying to tell them otherwise.)

"With me, it shouldn't take half that long," Katara replied with a grin. "Are you anxious to get home, Charan?"

The man smiled slightly, "Yes, Ambassador Katara. My wife just had a baby, and being away from them has been difficult."

Katara gave him a reassuring grin, "Well, I promise we'll be in Ba Sing Se before the week's up. I told my boyfriend I'd be back _today_, so I'm already late." She laughed, and the man smiled wider. "How old is your baby?"

"Turned a month two days ago," Charan said proudly. "He's going to be an earthbender. I can feel it every time I look at him."

Katara beamed, "I'm sure he'll be a sight to behold. When he's old enough, be sure to send him to Toph Beifong's metalbending school. He'll be a legend."

The man straightened importantly and bobbed his head, "Of course!"

Katara patted his shoulder and strolled past him, stopping at the front of the boat. The bow rose before her, inhibiting her sights, but she could feel the water pulsing beneath them, the waves breaking as the boat glided across the ocean.

Okay.

She began a smooth, circular motion with her arms, imagining the water parting around them, pushing to the stern and propelling them forward. The muted conversation of the other two men stopped as all three turned to watch her. She ignored them, focusing only on Aang.

_Coming home, Sweetie_.

The wind caught the sails as they pulled away from the Fire Nation, and that helped. Katara lost herself in the motion, closing her eyes as she swayed with the waves. Aang's beloved meditation was fine, but nothing soothed her like waterbending.

Until the water didn't part. Something stopped her progress. Something big and round and—

"Duck!" she screamed, diving away from the bow just as their boat plowed into the mine. The explosion echoed. Fire destroyed the soft wood, eating the deck and snaking its way to the sails. Katara watched in horror.

"Ambassador Katara!" Charan yelled, skidding to a stop beside her. He looped his arms under hers and dragged her from the fire, yelling commands to the other two.

Her head spun and her ears rang from the explosion, but aside from some minor burns, she wasn't badly injured. She pulled from his grasp, wobbled a bit under the sinking boat, and bent water to douse the fire.

"What was that?" the man demanded, covering his eyes from the seawater raining on them.

"A Fire Nation mine," she replied roughly. "Probably leftover from the war."

The men exchanged glances. They didn't believe that. She didn't really blame them—it seemed pretty unlikely for her too. But she knew it wasn't something Zuko would endorse, so what else could she think?

Without the front half of the boat, it was sinking fast. She grit her teeth and clenched her hands to her chest, pushing them outward in a forceful movement. Under the deck, the water expelled from the boat. She quickly pulled her arms upward and clenched her fists, freezing a sheet of water over the hole.

It wasn't a perfect fix, but it would have to do.

The men sighed in relief. Charan craned his head around the back of the boat. "Ambassador, we have another problem. A Fire Nation ship is headed this way."

"That's not a problem," Katara said in relief, spinning to see for herself. "That's our rescue!"

The ship bore the Fire Nation symbol proudly, and as it pulled alongside her limping boat, its horn bellowed welcome. On their deck, a soldier waved for their attention. "Need a lift, Ambassador?" he yelled.

"Please," she replied. The man called for rope, but she waved a hand. "No need," she told him. "I can get us aboard." With a wave of her right hand, she stepped towards the ship. A bridge of water froze between the vessels. Another flick, and stairs etched themselves into the ice.

She motioned, and Charan took the first step. His men followed. Katara cast a wistful glance at their poor boat, but nothing could save it this far out to sea. With a sigh, she left it behind, climbing the steps to rescue.

And at the top, she found an ambush.

* * *

"She's not here?" Aang asked, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. He snapped his glider shut and dropped to the ground, leaning miserably against the stick. "She promised she'd be back by now."

Sokka rolled his eyes and shoveled another helping of rice into his bowl. "Oh, stop whining. You can survive a few days without Katara."

"It's been two weeks," Aang replied.

"Which means that a few more days shouldn't really matter," Sokka said. He swallowed a pile of rice and wagged his chopsticks at his friend. "And don't think I don't know where your mind's at, young man. I won't tolerate the way you're taking advantage of my sister."

Aang's cheeks burned, and he stuttered, "T-taking advantage? I don't—" his voice cracked—he'd take Firelord Ozai over puberty any day—and he hastily cleared his throat. "I would never—"

"Yeah, yeah," Sokka rolled his eyes. "Don't hurt yourself. Just remember that I'm onto you, and next time you two get all _oogie_, I'll be watching."

He meant it as a threat, but Aang just blinked. "Really? She's your sister, Sokka. That's kind of—"

"Oh, _eww_. That is _not_ what I meant!" Sokka looked at his rice with disgust, as if he'd suddenly lost his appetite. He pushed the bowl away, and Aang couldn't help but laugh. "Whatever. Subject change. How's Republic City coming along?"

Aang slouched against the table, "We established a high council to make governmental decisions. We still need a representative of the Southern Water Tribes." He stared pointedly at Sokka, who gainfully ignored him. Aang heaved a weary sigh. "Come on, Sokka. Please reconsider."

"I'm not moving to Republic City," Sokka exclaimed. "I mean, come on, Aang. I barely get to see Suki as it is, and that's just as your 'ambassador' in Ba Sing Se!"

"You're the only one I really trust to manage that council! Combining all the settlements is bound to have its bumps, but it's really, _really_ important that this city _works_. You can solve their problems better than anyone."

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, "I can't, not yet. I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe my dad?"

"I thought about that, but I don't think he'll want to leave your tribe again."

"I'll talk to him. We'll…" Sokka sighed, clenching his eyes shut. "We'll figure something out. Even if it's Bato." He grinned, but the motion was exaggerated, weary. Silence fell over the room, and Aang twirled his glider staff between two fingers.

"When did life get so complicated?" he wondered aloud. "I almost… I miss the days where all I had to do was learn bending."

Sokka laughed. "Me too, buddy."

* * *

Katara struggled against the shackles that bit into her wrists. Her shoulders ached from hours in this position. Her legs were curled underneath her, bound at the ankles. A thick, short chain bolted the two pairs of shackles together.

Unless she figured out how to bend with her face like Bumi, she wasn't getting out of this one.

She glanced around. They were sailing somewhere, but the room had no windows, no access to the body of water just outside. The air was humid, so she could pull from that if she needed to, but again came the issue of _movement_.

Katara pulled against the restraints again. And again, all she got was a sharp, throbbing pain up her shoulder. She wondered if that damn soldier had dislocated it during the fight. Now _that_ would make bending difficult.

"Okay. Not good," she muttered, blowing hair out of her eyes.

Someone knocked on the door. Mocking her. She glared as the locks were undone. The soldier strolled into the room. Another man behind him slammed the door closed, and the locks clanked back into place.

Trapped.

"So," the soldier said, removing his helmet. "Having a lovely vacation, _Ambassador_?"

"It's not the one I'd have picked," she replied, narrowing her eyes. Did she know the soldier? He seemed to know her, but he didn't look familiar. "For one thing, I wouldn't be chained in a metal ship."

"Would you rather be chained in a wooden one?" he replied, and laughed, obviously thinking himself very witty. "Ah, never mind. Old habit, making fun of prisoners. It dies hard."

Katara had to refrain from trying to strangle him. Or drown him. Actually, the latter sounded more fun. But any movement would remind him that she was chained and he wasn't, and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Where are my men?"

The soldier considered her for a moment, smiling complacently. "Oh, I imagine they're enjoying the same treatment you are. I haven't been to see them, of course. You're my only concern." He paused, tilting his head. "Hmm. Maybe I'll have them thrown overboard. It'd be less work."

"No!" Katara exclaimed.

The soldier laughed.

She clenched her teeth. Drowning wasn't enough for this guy. Drifting in a block of ice for a year would be more fitting. "What do you want with me? Hurt them, and I _swear_ I won't cooperate."

"A threat? Cute," he replied, shaking his head. "Not that you're in a position, but I can respect the defiance. You would have made a good firebender. You have that spark."

Katara nearly cringed in disgust.

The soldier knelt beside her, grabbing her face with soot-covered fingers. He forced her to meet his gaze, his smile growing malicious. "I'm not an unreasonable man. I'll make you a deal. You write a letter to your boyfriend, the Avatar, and I promise I won't throw your friends overboard."

Katara saw her opening. All she needed was to get rid of these chains. She forced herself to look conflicted, suspicious. "Why do you need me to write it?"

"Well, to prove you're still alive, of course," the soldier replied lightly. "Otherwise the Avatar might not cooperate, and I do so _love_ cooperation. Do we have a deal?"

She regarded him warily and said, "Fine."

"Excellent," he said, and banged twice on the door. The locks opened and his lackey stepped inside. This guy had muscles to put the Boulder to shame, and Katara had to steel herself. Nothing in her life could ever be _easy_.

"She's agreed. Unlock her left hand. I assume you're a lefty?" the soldier said merrily, reaching into his bag. He produced a brush, an inkwell, and a thin sheet of parchment. The Muscle Man did as ordered. The shackle clanked to the floor.

Katara clenched her fist, drawing the water from the air, and shot it at Muscle Man's face. It froze, and he stumbled backwards, flailing for air and orientation. Katara swung her arm around—it screamed in protest after so many hours being bound—and another ball of water slammed into the soldier.

He shot a blast of fire at her, and Katara barely had time for an ice shield. Bending was tough with one hand, and without actual water nearby, it took even longer. She used the ice shield as splinters, skewering anything in front of her.

_Take that,_ she thought nastily.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm. She glanced sharply to the left. Muscle Man had melted his ice-helmet, and he wasn't happy. He clenched her skin hard enough to bruise. Katara narrowed her eyes and closed her own fist, pulling more water from the air.

And then the soldier slammed his foot into her arm. The _crack_ of bone snapping echoed in the small metal room.

Katara screamed.

Muscle Man let go of her, and the soldier stepped backwards, shaking his head sympathetically. "I told you to cooperate, Ambassador. I thought we had a deal."

The pain was overwhelming. She'd broken bones before, but none had snapped quite so cleanly. Her arm flopped to the ground, useless. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she glared at her oppressors.

The soldier jerked his head, and Muscle Man unlocked her right hand. The soldier smiled coldly. "I knew you were right-handed, Katara. Now, if you don't want that arm broken as well, you'll write my letter."

She stared at him, numb. He knew she was going to fight back. He knew _how_, knew her moves well enough to defend, and countered her swiftly. She never stood a chance.

Defeated, she took the brush with trembling fingers and wrote Aang a letter.

* * *

"Avatar," the Earth King said in surprise. He hastily waved away an advisor and stepped from his throne. "I didn't expect you! Such a pleasure." He bowed in respect, beaming brightly.

Aang returned the gesture. Beside him, Sokka glanced at Bosco and groaned. The bear was wearing a headdress that would put a royal lady to shame, and he was eating fruit from a bowl on a pedestal.

"I see Bosco has a new… uh… wardrobe," Sokka said drily.

The Earth King leapt backwards, stroking his beloved bear's nose. "Isn't it lovely? It's designed from a scroll of old-Earth attire. But of course it had to be embellished." He gestured to the tassels adorning every free inch of the thing.

Sokka wrinkled his nose. Aang smirked.

"It looks great," he said.

The Earth King glowed from the praise.

"Look, can we get back to business?" Sokka said. "I was hoping to leave for Kyoshi Island tonight. I want to get everything settled before I leave."

"Everything?" the Earth King said doubtfully. "Perhaps we can finish the itinerary for my tour of the Kingdom, but I doubt the repurposed Fire Nation colonies will be decided as quickly."

Aang tilted his head, "The Fire Nation colonies were evacuated, except for Republic City. What's the problem?"

"Nothing peace-threatening," the Earth King assured him.

Sokka sighed, "A lot of those towns relied on Fire Nation trades to make money. Without firebenders, they're having a tough time keeping out of poverty."

Aang looked confused. "Why can't they just go back to Earth Kingdom trades?"

"There's a supply-and-demand aspect you have to consider," Sokka said, folding his arms. "Those former colonies set themselves apart by combining earthbending _and_ firebending, and that made them profitable. Look."

He led them into a side chamber off the throne room, where a small table was framed with three plush chairs. A map of the Earth Kingdom framed the table, and Sokka motioned Aang closer.

"See here? That's where the Fire Nation colonial village used to be. They renamed it Taku, after another village destroyed by the Fire Nation armies." He pointed to the colonial village. Aang leaned over his finger for a better look. Sokka continued, "So, before the Harmony Restoration Movement, Taku made a market out of currency."

"They created the coins we use all over the Kingdom," the Earth King injected. "I'm sure they shipped currency to the Fire Nations too, back in the day."

Sokka nodded, "They used earthbending to find the metal, and firebending to mold it into shape. Without the firebenders, their production decreased. And since metalbenders like Toph are few and far between, they're struggling."

Aang frowned at the map, considering Sokka's words. He could see the problem. In this particular instance, he would just recommend they allow firebenders back into the colonies, but judging the Earth King's response in the Battle for Yu Dao, he doubted that would work.

The Earth King rubbed his chin. "It's quite the stumper."

"We've spent _months _trying to work it out." Sokka glanced at Aang, almost pleading. "Tell me you have some magical Avatar solution?"

"I wish I did," he replied. "I'll think on it for a bit. I'm sure we can come up with something."

Sokka groaned and looked back to the Earth King. "Okay, okay. Let's get that itinerary finished before I grow old." He dropped into the nearby chair with practiced ease. The Earth King retrieved a separate scroll from a nearby shelf and spread it over the map.

Aang could feel his eyes glazing over. He really didn't care where the Earth King traveled on his yearly tour. He edged towards the door. "I'm just gonna go… uh… think on that colony issue."

Sokka rolled his eyes, but the Earth King didn't even seem to notice. "I definitely have to visit Omashu, but do I go there before or _after_ Gaoling?"

Aang ran.

And coincidentally, ran right into a palace messenger.

The man looked infinitely relieved to see Aang. He bowed low and said, "Avatar Aang, a message for you! Urgent, from the Fire Nation."

Aang raised an eyebrow and took the message. "The Firelord is in Republic City. Who's this from?"

The messenger bowed again, "I couldn't say, Avatar." And he sprinted away.

Aang unwrapped the message, looking at the thin parchment warily. He'd _just_ seen Zuko. Did things unravel so fast in his absence? Maybe the messenger had the sender wrong. Or maybe it was from Katara! She was in the Fire Nation!

He grinned and unfurled the parchment. His grin grew when he recognized Katara's handwriting. He'd know that graceful stroke of the brush anywhere. He danced on his toes, almost too anxious to actually _read_ her words.

But when he did, his heart dropped into his stomach. White-hot anger scorched his throat as he stared at the letter. It twisted through his body, igniting every bone, every drop of blood, until he thought he might burn alive.

He felt himself losing control, right there in the Earth King's palace.

It was Bosco who broke his trance, yowling like a cat owl asking for food.

Aang jerked himself to the present. Drew a calming breath. And another, when the first didn't help. Bosco edged away from him, following animal instinct to run from danger. Aang stalked past the bear and threw open the door to the side chamber.

Sokka glanced upwards and blinked. "That was fast. Figure something out already?" he sounded excited at the prospect, and Aang knew he was only thinking about seeing Suki faster. His stomach lurched, and he thought he might be sick.

Sokka noticed. He stood quickly, eyebrows raised. "Hey, Aang. What's up?"

Aang brandished the parchment. Katara's beautiful handwriting, marred by horrific words.

"She's been captured," he choked.

* * *

A/N: Okay, wow, so that was angsty. It gets better. Probably.

This fic's already done, and I'll be uploading new chapters **Wednesdays** and **Saturdays**. There are 7 "parts," which really meant I was too lazy to upload them chapter by chapter. But that also means you'll have the whole story (20k words) by September 4th! So woot for that.

I love feedback! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm Better With You**

**Chapter 2**

They hauled Katara to the belly of the ship. The furnace room was hot and dry and worked by two men at all times. The soldier smiled as Muscle Man threw her to the ground and clamped her chains around a nearby pipe.

"I didn't know about pulling water from the air, but I doubt it'll be a problem down here," he said, rubbing his chin. "Still, you're one to watch. My men will be supervising you. Don't try anything, or you'll _wish_ it was just your arm that was broken."

Katara felt weak and shaky with pain. She could barely focus on his words, much less comprehend his threats. She stared blankly at the coal piles and wished she had Toph. Hell, even Zuko would be useful right now.

Muscle Man straightened, and the soldier folded his arms. "Ambassador. Look at me, Katara."

She forced her eyes upward, ice blue meeting molten brown. He regarded her with vague interest. "You signed the letter, so you know who we are."

"Fire Nation Resistance," she breathed.

Zuko had mentioned them, a rogue militia separated by loyalty to Ozai. A hundred men who vanished from the Fire Nation military. It took months, but Zuko's army found a hideout with detailed plans to overthrow him. They arrested the men responsible and cleaned out the base.

They all thought the threat was over.

But clearly the Resistance was just biding their time.

"You won't win," she said, biting back a groan.

The soldier laughed, "Don't be silly. Of course we will. We've thought of every contingency. And with your help, Ambassador, the Fire Nation will return to its former glory under the reign of Firelord Ozai!"

He seemed excited of the prospect, like a kid in a toy shop. Katara watched him wearily. Her arm was numb, but shivers wracked her body on occasion, despite the heat of the furnace room. She needed to heal herself, but without a free arm and enough water, that was impossible.

The soldier seemed to notice he was losing her. He snapped his fingers to regain her attention. "Don't faint on me yet, Ambassador. I actually do need you somewhat alert for the exchange."

"He'll never submit to _you,_" she said. Shivered. Pain flared, and she bit back another cry. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she thought, _Well, there's some water, at least._

"We'll see. I've heard he's rather attached to you, Katara. I'm sure we can reach an agreement," the soldier smirked and patted her head. "So you stay here and keep comfortable. Once we arrive on Roku's Island, we'll move you somewhere more… hospitable."

He waved to Muscle Man, and the two of them climbed the ladder and disappeared from the room.

Katara struggled to remember the letter she'd written to Aang. The soldier had given her guidelines. Roku's Island. Exchange. Full moon. She smirked grimly. Surrounded by water, bathed in the light of the full moon? That sounded like her kind of fight.

She just needed to fix her arm first…

She could feel the gaze of the two men feeding the furnace. She shifted and didn't have to fake the whimper of pain. One of the men paused in his shoveling. Katara watched him through a veil of hair. She let out a quiet sob. He straightened, facing her fully now.

"Hey," he said, and she nearly smiled. "You okay?"

"Don't talk to her," the other said sharply. "Masaru's orders."

Masaru. So that was the soldier's name. Katara filed it away for future reference.

"He also said to keep her alive before the exchange," the first man said. He dropped his shovel and walked cautiously towards Katara. She jostled her arm again, harder this time, and the resulting stab of agony actually did summon tears to her eyes.

She met the man's gaze. He was young, maybe Zuko's age. It was surprising to see him aboard a Resistance ship. He must have been a fresh recruit when the war ended. He had light brown eyes and a kind smile, and he bent beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, lamely. He seemed aware of how _stupid_ the question was.

"Y-yeah," she breathed. Added a stutter for effect. He ate it up, and his expression softened further. "I'm Katara. Guess I'll be… keeping you company." She shifted and gasped, clenching her eyes shut. Her summoned tears leaked down her cheeks.

The man hesitated. His partner had stopped shoveling by this point, and Katara tried to make her show convincing. It really wasn't that hard, faking distress amidst real, excruciating pain. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Can we get her water or anything? She's really hurt here."

"She's a _waterbender_," his partner replied drily.

"She's also shackled to the wall, and her arm's broken," the man snapped. "Get me some water." The partner rolled his eyes and strolled behind the furnace. The man wiped his forehead—more sweat—and smiled. "I'm Ryuu."

"You seem… young," Katara said, resting her head against the pipes. She could hear steam whistling through them.

Steam meant water. Maybe she could use that.

Ryuu shrugged, "I'm old enough."

"I bet… your family misses you, though," she said. Her voice sounded broken, sad, and even though she hated that, it _was_ convincing. She forced a pained smile.

"They died," he replied simply.

Katara frowned at him. She read real anguish in his eyes, despite his flippant tone. Was that his motive for joining this little crusade? She couldn't tell, and now wasn't the time to ask. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and said, "My mom did too, but my… my brother and dad are still around. Sokka and I were going to visit the Southern Water Tribes when I got back. I told him… we'd have a snowball fight, because he still thinks he can beat me."

Despite the act, she couldn't help but smile a little.

And despite his alliances, Ryuu smiled too. "Must be nice."

"It _was_," she said, and choked back a sob.

Ryuu's hardened expression broke. And Katara knew she had him.

* * *

"We need Toph," Sokka yelled over the howling wind. The Earth Kingdom raced beneath them as Aang flicked the reigns, urging Appa faster. He knew a sky bison could only fly so fast, but Katara had been in _their_ hands for at least two days, and that was two days too long.

"No time," Aang replied.

Sokka groaned. "I know you're worried. I am too, trust me! But if we go racing in there without a plan—"

"I have a plan."

"Following their demands is _not_ a plan, Aang," Sokka said irately. "Katara will _kill_ me if I let you exchange yourself for her. If they get a hold of the Avatar so soon into the restoration process, the world won't recover!"

Aang clenched the reigns tighter. His knuckles were already white, and he could feel his nails biting into his palms. He nudged his bison with his foot. _Faster, Appa,_ _faster_. Appa growled in protest, but urged himself onward.

Sokka leaned over the saddle's railing, shouting to be heard. "This isn't some bumbling group of kids in over their heads, Aang. This is the _Fire Nation_ _Resistance. _They outnumber us, and most of them are ex-military. We need _backup_."

"I _know _who we're up against, but Toph is too far out of the way," he snapped. "By the time we get to her school, Katara might be—" Aang cut himself off, clenching his eyes shut. He couldn't think about that. She was alive when she wrote that note. The Resistance couldn't expect to exchange a dead body.

His nails drew blood. He could feel it staining the leather reigns, warm and slippery against his palms. He forced himself to draw a breath, to send the anger away. Calming motions. It was hard. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Katara bound and broken, locked in a cell, _bait_ for the Avatar.

Sokka put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Hey. It'll be okay, Aang. Look at me."

Aang wrenched his eyes from the ground and met Sokka's gaze. His blue eyes looked so much like Katara's. Aang could feel himself trembling, but he didn't know if it was from rage, grief, or the biting chill of wind.

"Katara's strong. She might have been overpowered or outmatched, but you know she won't give up. And frankly, she's been in worse," Sokka said. He grinned, and Aang forced a small smile.

"Yeah," he said. He'd felt panicked when Azula captured her in Ba Sing Se. Now, though, he was downright terrified. Azula was unpredictable, but she wasn't a fully-formed resistance movement of a hundred or more men.

Sokka didn't let Aang look away. "But if we want to get her out, we _need_ help. We need Toph, and we probably need Zuko."

Neither were nearby. They were flying southwest from Ba Sing Se directly towards Roku's Island, where the Resistance planned to make the exchange. Honestly, Aang probably wouldn't have even stopped for _Sokka_ if he hadn't been in the next room.

"There's no time," he repeated.

Sokka sighed and pulled the letter from his shirt, scanning it again. Aang studied the ground, watching the green forests give way to brown mountains. He couldn't look at that parchment. If he got a hold of it again, he'd probably set it on fire.

And they needed that letter.

It was best if Sokka kept it.

Sokka carefully folded it again and said, "Look, I understand where you're coming from. But Appa can fly faster than they think. The full moon's four days away, and that's plenty of time."

"No," Aang said.

Sokka growled in frustration and grabbed Aang's shirt, hauling him into the saddle. Appa lifted his head, but kept their pace. Aang tried to wrench away from Sokka, but he was strong from years of swordsmanship, and he kept his hold.

"Listen up, Aang. Katara is _my_ sister, so don't you _dare_ think you're the only one here with something at stake." His words were fierce, and Aang was shocked to see the tears in the corners of his eyes. "But you're not being logical, so that leaves me. And if we don't get Toph and Zuko before this exchange, it will be _your_ fault when Katara's killed."

Aang stilled. He'd never dared to say that aloud. Hearing it from Sokka, their idea guy, the one in charge of lightening any mood, meant Katara was in _real_ danger.

Sokka narrowed his eyes. "You and I can't take a hundred men, and if you enter the Avatar state, you'll lose control and end up killing people. Katara wouldn't want that, and you know it. So if we want to resolve this like we always do, then we need the old group. Now stop arguing and _change course_."

He released Aang's shirt, and Aang fell to the saddle. He stared at Sokka for a moment, his heart clenching. He felt like all the air in the world had vanished and he were gasping for breath. He whispered, "What if we can't save her?"

Sokka didn't smile. His expression was filled with anguish, but his voice was hard.

"Then it won't be for lack of trying."

Aang stared at Sokka. Then he said, "Appa, go to Toph. Yip yip."

And the bison veered right.

* * *

Zuko bit back a yawn. Around him, Republic City's new high council argued over everything from agriculture to architecture. Aang wanted this city to be something new, but no one could let go of their own cultures. It was tedious and absurd.

The Water Tribe wanted more docks, because clearly fishing would be the primary source of food. The Earth Kingdom demanded their currency be used, since their Kingdom was most populated. The Fire Nation insisted Republic City declare their Fire Days Festival an official holiday.

Zuko was sick of the politics. Aang could have this resolved in a matter of minutes, but he possessed no such reasoning skills. Instead, Zuko slouched in his seat and counted the days until he could return to his palace—and Mai.

He wondered if the royal jeweler would have the ring finished yet. He would be the first Firelord in hundreds of years to fall back on that old tradition, rather than writing an official decree declaring their intended marriage.

Mai deserved something new. Or, rather, old…

Zuko smiled to himself.

The council continued to argue.

Then someone burst into the room and caught everyone's attention. Conversation ceased as the most powerful men in Republic City turned to the messenger. The man straightened, cleared his throat, and said, "Firelord Zuko, the Avatar demands your presence immediately."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. Aang literally left three days ago. What could he possibly have forgotten? Still, Zuko wasted no time pushing from the table. _Saved by the Avatar_. "Continue without me," he told them, and arguing commenced again.

The messenger led him down an ornate hallway. City Hall was the first building erected, and if it were any indicator, the rest of Republic City would be impressive indeed. The messenger waved him into the courtyard and bowed.

Zuko was suspicious the moment he saw Toph. Sokka, he could understand. Aang had been trying to get a Southern Water Tribe representative here for months, and Sokka was his first choice. But Toph had no interest in Republic City politics.

"What's wrong?" he asked, because if the gang was gathered, something _had_ to be wrong.

Sokka handed him a letter. The three watched grimly as he opened it, skimmed the contents. Zuko felt his stomach drop. Katara… captured? By the _Fire Nation Resistance_? He shook his head fiercely. "No, this can't be right. We found their hideout and arrested them. There's no one left."

Aang scowled, "Obviously, you missed something."

"I didn't!" Zuko snapped angrily. "I swear, there hasn't been any word of a governmental overthrow since we sent them to Boiling Rock. You think I would leave the Fire Nation if there were?"

"Well, _someone_ found Katara and got her to write that letter," Aang retorted, coming toe-to-toe with Zuko. He would be annoyed at the implication, but he could see the raw anguish in Aang's grey eyes. This was really eating the kid up.

Frankly, Zuko wasn't any happier. Katara was a good friend, probably the best of any of them. He trusted her as a liaison between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. That wasn't a burden he'd allow just anyone.

Toph stepped between them, pushing Aang back. "Look, Twinkle-toes. None of us are happy about this, but arguing won't help." She turned to Zuko. She was trying to meet his gaze, but her head was tilted too far left. "Are you in?"

"Of course," Zuko replied, handing Sokka the letter. Sokka slid it into his pocket with reverent care, as if it were the last connection he had with his sister. That only fueled Zuko's desire. "We _will_ get her back."

Aang's defensive posture relaxed a bit, and he nodded firmly. "Yeah."

"All right," Sokka said, forcing a smile he obviously didn't feel. "Team Avatar's _back_, baby!"

Silence fell over the group.

It was Aang that finally said, "Not _all_ of us are back." He twirled his arms and air-bended onto Appa's head, gripping the reigns tightly. Toph stamped her foot and lifted Sokka and Zuko to the saddle.

They left Republic City in silence.

* * *

She didn't know how long she'd been in the furnace room. The heat smothered her like an overly-warm blanket, and whenever the pain numbed enough for her to sleep, it was fitful and restless. Her sweat had long-since dried. Nausea churned in her stomach, so even when Ryuu snuck her food, she couldn't eat it.

During the day, two men shoveled coal, but at night only one had the honor. After the first night, Ryuu took that shift, and they were alone. He gave her water, but it wasn't enough to rehydrate her after so long in the heat. He mostly talked, and she mostly listened, because mostly, she just didn't have the energy to reply.

When Ryuu was gone, she pretended to sleep. She closed her eyes and drooped her head and worked the fingers of her right hand, trying to bend the steam in the pipes against her back. She couldn't tell if it worked.

But there was another source of water. The workers kept it stashed behind the furnace so _they_ didn't dehydrate. Every time a new worker reported for his shift, he brought a bucket of it, practically waving it in front of her face before hiding it from view. Katara knew where she was running if she could figure an escape.

At one point, Masaru came back, flanked by Muscle Man. The soldier smiled politely and knelt beside her and said, "You look positively miserable, Ambassador. I trust you're enjoying your new quarters?"

She would have spit on his face, but her mouth was dry as an Earth Kingdom desert. She settled for a fierce glare instead.

"In case you're wondering why we're still sailing," he said, twirling a lock of her matted hair between his fingers, "we're taking a tour around the Fire Nation. Less chance of interception before the exchange, you understand."

Roku's Island wasn't far from where her boat capsized, so this news solved that puzzle piece, at least. She didn't say anything, but she jerked her hair from his grip. The move sent a wave of vertigo over her, and she swayed.

Masaru laughed. "I do so love your defiance, Katara. It's as beautiful as the sun at midday."

"You won't… get away with this," she said. Her voice was barely a croak.

He ignored her go-to phrase. "Do you know why we're going to Roku's Island?" He waited, but she didn't reply, so he continued with a flourish of his hands. "A hundred years ago, the volcano erupted and buried Roku's town. Legend says it buried him too, and that gave Firelord Sozin the opportunity to start our glorious war."

Katara felt sick. She leaned against the pipes and tried to let the soothing sound of steam drown him out. It didn't work.

"But we don't care about Roku's fate. We're much more interested in his dragon."

That got her paying attention. She stared at Masaru with wide eyes. "His dragon… died," she said carefully. Aang had told her of Roku's animal companion. He'd also told her of their untimely demise. Nothing could survive that.

The soldier chuckled, "Oh, some think that. We know better." He winked and stood, waving for Muscle Man to follow him up the ladder. He craned his neck down to her and said, cheerfully, "Until next time, Ambassador."

Then he left.

Katara lost herself in thought. Her mind had a hard time making connections, exhausted as she was, but something didn't add up. What would the Resistance want with a dragon? And what kind of proof did they have that the beast was still alive somewhere?

She didn't even realize the shift change, but she definitely noticed when Ryuu put a hand on her good shoulder. "Hey," he said, smiling slightly. "I got permission to set your arm." He motioned towards the meager supplies at his feet.

Katara half-smiled. "That doesn't sound… like soldier-boy…"

Ryuu wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Masaru doesn't want the Avatar thinking you're 'dead' when he presents you."

Katara thought this might be her chance, but when Ryuu unlocked her left wrist, the bare movement had her screaming in pain. Her shoulder was stiff and unmoving, and he carefully massaged it for a moment. Katara tried to keep from whimpering, but it was a losing fight.

Now definitely wasn't the time for an escape. She doubted she could stand, much less fight her way off the ship.

"I know it hurts," he said, eyebrows knitted together. He held a rolled cloth to her mouth. "Here. Bite this between your teeth. This should only take a moment."

"If you…" she cringed, swallowed, and managed, "If you unlock my other arm, I can heal myself. No… no setting… necessary."

Ryuu looked doubtful. "I'm just supposed to set your arm. I don't think Masaru would be happy if you healed it completely."

"He doesn't… have to know," she said, looking into his eyes. "Please… Ryuu."

He swallowed, glanced up the ladder at the closed door above them. No one else was around. Katara could nearly see him plotting out contingencies, battling his conscience with his assigned duties. Eventually, he sighed and moved the bucket of water closer. Then he bent behind her and unlocked her right arm.

"I'm going to stand watch upstairs," he said. "If anyone comes, stop bending and put your arm back into the shackle. Okay?"

Katara nodded, and he climbed the ladder. She could hear him walking the gangplank above her head, but she was more concerned with relief from the pain. She worked her fingers, pulling the water from the bucket. It engulfed her right hand, and she carefully pressed it against her left arm.

The arm had swelled considerably, and she could envision the broken bones beneath her fingers. She bit her lip and closed her eyes and tried to knit herself back together.

The pain lessened, and that nearly brought tears to her eyes. Days without any kind of relief had been making her crazy, tense and agitated and exhausted. Now she had to fight to keep her eyes open, but she forced herself to concentrate.

Concentrate.

_Soon_, she thought. _Soon, I'll get out of this. I'll get home, Aang._

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! :D


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, Roku's Island finally comes into this one, but I'd completely forgotten what it looked like in the episode Aang and co. visited, so I made stuff up. I've since watched the episode and realized I was completely wrong, so... yeah. Oops. Once again, take my writing with a grain of salt. :P

* * *

**I'm Better With You**

**Chapter 3**

"So who's this 'Resistance' anyway?" Toph asked. Her voice sounded tense, but Aang couldn't blame her. She didn't like flying on a normal day, and now they were hurtling towards Roku's Island faster than Appa had flown in years.

Zuko sighed heavily, the weight of a nation on his shoulders. "They're loyal to my father. Even without his bending, they still thought he'd be a better Firelord."

"Did they miss the years of massacring and murder?" Sokka asked sarcastically. "Or were they all busy playing Pai Sho?"

"According to what we found in their headquarters, they wanted to restore the Fire Nation to its 'former glory.'" Zuko sounded sarcastic, like even he didn't believe his Nation would ever be restored to what it was before the war.

Aang couldn't really argue. They were trying, but considering the debts yet to be paid, it would be a difficult process.

"What are the odds of them using Aang to break Ozai out of prison?" Toph asked bluntly.

Aang straightened, whirling around to face the saddle and his friends, "That won't happen."

"Come on, Aang. If it comes between freeing Ozai and Katara dying, I know what you'd choose," she replied, folding her arms.

She was right, of course, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. Aang looked ahead again, gritting his teeth. Toph kept talking.

"Never mind that it'd be a useless move for the Resistance. What would they do with a fallen Firelord anyway? The Nation won't take him back."

Zuko looked at the ocean beneath them and said, "Well… if I'm killed, they won't have a choice. They can't exactly coronate Azula, and I don't have kids."

Aang hadn't considered that. He left the reigns and leapt into the saddle, sitting against the wooden railing. "What about Iroh?"

"Well, Uncle could take the throne for a time," Zuko admitted slowly.

"But again, the whole 'kids' issue comes into play," Sokka said, shaking his head. "Man. Royalty is ridiculous. You should just elect someone to take command based on the peoples' interest. That's how we pick chiefs in the Water Tribes."

"Sure, sure. Just one question, Sokka. How would that work when you get a population like the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom? Would they all write their best friend's name on little scraps of paper and send them to the Capital for tallying?" Toph asked.

Sokka huffed and dropped against the railing again. "Just an idea."

Toph heaved a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

Aang regained Zuko's attention. "So, if they kill you _and_ break Ozai out of jail, there's really nothing stopping them from taking command?"

"That's how our laws are written," Zuko said grimly.

"That's so _stupid_," Aang exclaimed, pushing to his feet. He glared at Zuko. "First thing once this is done, _that_ gets changed. Ozai will _never_ take command again. I swear it."

Suddenly Sokka gasped and lunged to Aang, grabbing his arm. Aang nearly lost his balance, but he planted his feet and used a gust of air to settle himself. Sokka didn't seem to notice. He was pointing at the ocean. "Hey! Look, look. See that?"

"No," Toph said, shaking her head. She looked in Sokka's direction, exasperation written on her face. "Description, please."

"It's a Water Tribe boat. _Katara's_ boat!"

Hope swelled within Aang. Maybe the letter was a lie. Maybe Katara was still here, hiding somewhere, waiting to be rescued.

The chances were slim, but he clung to the ray of hope, letting it cut through the darkness that had engulfed him since Ba Sing Se.

He had the reigns again in a heartbeat. Appa didn't need to be told—he just turned and dove for the water at a frightening speed. Sokka cried out, and Aang could see Toph gripping the saddle like a lifeline, but as soon as Appa was close enough, Aang didn't stick around. He leapt from the bison and landed hard on the deck of the boat.

It was barely afloat. Another day, and it would have sunk into the ocean. Aang drew a breath and stepped forward, shoving his arms out. The water below deck dispelled, and with a quick rise of his hands, a sheet of ice covered the hole and stabilized the boat.

He could imagine Katara doing the exact same thing, and his eyes burned.

Sokka landed hard on the deck next to him.

"She's not here," Aang said glumly.

He sighed and said, "Let's check below deck. Maybe she left us some kind of clue, or another note." He unconsciously patted the pocket with her letter as he led the way down a set of stairs.

The area below deck was small and damp. Three sleeping bags lined one side of the hull, and the door to Katara's room was unlocked and open. Sokka examined the sleeping bags while Aang stepped into her room.

It was simple, but that didn't surprise him. Just a sleeping pallet against one wall, and a desk against the other. He checked the drawers and found a spare set of her clothes stuffed into them. She would probably want these if—_when_—they got her back. He tucked them under his arm.

On the floor, he found a small flute, a relic of the Air Nomads. He'd given it to Katara on her birthday, had taught her how to play it. She couldn't do it quite as well as an airbender, but he loved hearing her try.

He loved everything about her.

Aang tucked the flute into his robes, despair crushing him again. She would never be in danger if it weren't for him. Every time she was hurt or captured, it was to lure the Avatar into battle. He was _sick_ of it.

"The ship's empty," Sokka said, peeking into Katara's room. "Zuko recognized an old Fire Nation mine, so that's probably what blew up the bow. But there's no sign of them."

"No blood?" Aang asked, glancing at Sokka again.

Sokka seemed relieved. "None that I saw."

He should feel grateful, but he couldn't ignore the dark whispers in the back of his mind. _That doesn't mean anything. The boat was submerged—blood would just wash away. She could be dying, and you'd never know. _

_And you can't help._

Aang drew a shaking breath and pushed past Sokka, more than ready to leave this place.

* * *

"What did you do?" Masaru demanded, whirling on Ryuu. He held up his hands, eyes wide, taking a step back. Masaru advanced. "You let her heal herself. You undid all of my hard work. You will pay for that."

"He didn't," Katara said, wrenching against the chains. Her arm throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the pain from earlier. "Waterbenders heal faster naturally. He set my arm like you said, and my body did the rest."

"Oh, you did the rest, all right," Masaru growled. "Don't play me for a fool. My father captured and killed a hundred waterbenders. You bleed and die just like the rest of us."

Katara bristled. "He did what?"

"Don't act so surprised, Ambassador. Honestly, I'd kill you too, if we didn't need you for the exchange."

Right. What a load of bison shit.

"Don't play _me_ for a fool," she said. "There is no exchange. You're planning on killing me anyway, just as soon as Aang does what you want."

"Perhaps. But you will die knowing you were sacrificed for the ultimate goal."

Katara scoffed, "Ultimate goal? Nothing's going to happen! Roku's dragon died a hundred years ago."

Masaru looked amused now, turning from Ryuu to face her fully. For once, Muscle Man wasn't backing him up. Katara regretted the chains binding her in place. Now was the time to escape, while she'd caught her second wind.

She met Ryuu's gaze, and he nodded resolutely over Masaru's shoulder.

She clenched her hands. With her arm healed, she had twice the power, and it was enough to make the steam swell and the pipes groan.

Masaru didn't notice.

"There's where you're wrong, Katara. The dragon is merely dormant underneath mounds of rock. You really think a _dragon_ would fall prey to a volcano?" He laughed loudly, manically. Katara had heard a similar laugh from Azula, right before she went off the deep end.

That made him even more dangerous.

"And you think Aang can wake him up," she said, distracting him. The steam had broken through a weak point in the pipes, whistling into the furnace room. The sound was barely audible under the noise of the ship, but it was sweet music to Katara.

Masaru snapped his fingers, and flame danced in his palm. His eyes lit menacingly as he regarded her. "Correct! Only the Avatar can revive a dormant animal guide."

_Wrong_, Katara thought. _Because Sokka and I revived Appa just fine, thank you._

She called the steam. It burst through the pipe over her head, blasting Masaru with heat. He stumbled backward, and she pulled the moisture from the air, hardening it into ice to break her chains. The motion took a moment, but Ryuu took the cue.

"This has gone too far, Masaru," he shouted, looping his arm around the soldier's neck. Masaru shot flame at him, but he was still blinded by the steam, and the shot went wide. Ryuu tightened his grip.

Katara freed herself. The chains clanked to the ground, and she leapt to her feet. Her legs were less than steady, screaming protest after days of immobilization, but adrenaline fueled her and she leapt around the furnace. There. The bucket of water, just like she'd known.

It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to bind Masaru's hands and feet in ice. The soldier crashed to the ground, and Ryuu leapt over him, motioning for her to follow. "Come on!"

They leapt at the ladder and wrenched open the door. Muscle Man stood outside the room. Ryuu spun low and knocked him off his feet. Katara pulled the last of the steam and bound his hands and legs.

"That won't hold them long," she said, panting as they sprinted. She was dizzy with hunger and she couldn't seem to catch her breath, but she didn't stop. They were dead if she stopped. "Where are my men?"

"Second deck," he replied, knocking into a patrol guard as they rounded the corner. Katara leapt over the guard and stumbled. Ryuu grabbed her arm and towed her along.

"I need more water!"

"There's a window in their room."

A window meant access to the ocean. Perfect.

He took her through a back route, up another ladder and down a narrow hallway. Katara felt unsteady on her feet, but with Ryuu barreling her along, she had to keep pace. They paused for breath, and Ryuu motioned towards the corner. "They're keeping your men in a nearby room."

"How many guards?"

"Two," he replied.

"Easy enough," she said, feeling lightheaded. "I'll take one, you take one?"

Ryuu laughed. And they charged.

* * *

"There's Roku's Island," Sokka exclaimed, squinting at the mass of land ahead. "Aang, how about some cloud cover. If they're already here, it's best we keep the element of surprise."

Aang stood and spun his arms, swirling a mass of clouds around them. Zuko squinted and said, "Yeah, but now we can't see."

"Welcome to my world," Toph said, gripping the saddle's railing again.

Aang didn't smile at her dry statement. He just felt anxious and angry. Katara could be down there right now, waiting for him. If the Resistance _had_ beaten them to the island, fine, he'd settle this here, _now_.

But he couldn't put his friends in unnecessary danger, and Sokka was right. Scouting the island before they attacked was the best plan.

They flew to the far side of the island, opposite from Roku's old village, and landed on the beach. Toph immediately slid off Appa and dug her toes into the sand, letting out a sigh. "Finally," she said, relief coloring her tone.

Zuko and Sokka followed. Aang glanced thoughtfully at the dense forest just beyond the beach and said, "You guys set up camp in there. I'm going to look around."

"Aang," Sokka said, squinting at him. "Don't do anything stupid." His tone was light, teasing, but his eyes were dead serious.

Aang nodded and grabbed his glider from Appa's saddle. He patted the bison's neck and whispered, "Thanks for the fast flying, buddy." Then he snapped the glider open and left his friends on the beach.

He didn't see anything coming over the bigger volcano. The inside was charred and black—dormant—and he thought, _Well, that's a small blessing_. He squinted at the opposite beach. Nothing yet. He landed in an open field and closed his eyes.

There. He could feel Roku's decimated village beneath his feet. Buildings and belongings and memories, buried under tons of ash and hardened lava. He glanced at a nearby cliff and felt a deep pang. Avatar Roku's grave.

Aang stepped up the hill and stopped at the peak of the cliff, resting his staff on the ground. He pressed his fist into his open palm and bowed deeply. The wind rustled his clothes. It was unfair of the Resistance to make the exchange here. This entire island should be respected, left alone.

The last thing it needed was more tragedy.

Aang swallowed and snapped his glider open again. He urged the winds to carry him into the clouds, high above the island. He scanned for anything unusual—an airship or a Navy vessel or even a campsite nestled in the trees.

Nothing.

Dejected, he flew back over the volcano and dropped into the forest. His thoughts raced, and he couldn't go to the campsite yet. Instead, he wandered until he found a stream. He dipped his feet into the water and imagined the volcano's heat carving a path of life into the island.

Maybe his fury would do the same.

But he doubted it.

Toph found him there. She dropped to the ground beside him and heaved a sigh. "I could hear you moping even back in the campsite, Twinkle-toes."

He kicked the water and leaned back on his hands, staring at the canopy of trees. "Sorry. I'll try to mope quietly next time."

She snorted, "You never mope quietly. What's on your mind?"

He glanced incredulously at her. "Are you serious? _Katara_'s on my mind. They _took_ her, Toph. They took her to get to _me_."

"Ah, there it is," she replied steadily. She was always steady. Zuko lost his temper and Sokka hid behind humor and Katara coddled the problems away, but Toph spoke the truth. It was something Aang really valued about her.

She looked sideways at him. Her milky eyes stared above his head, but she knew exactly where he was. "I can feel your restlessness. You're angry because your destiny put Katara in danger."

Aang leapt to his feet. "Of course I am! If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have—"

"Sit down, Twinkle-toes," she said irately, and suddenly the ground moved from under his feet. He crashed into the stream and came up spluttering. Toph smiled in satisfaction.

"Cooled off yet?" she asked.

Aang scowled, "That didn't help, Toph."

"Then how about this?" She pushed to her feet, folding her arms as she glowered in his direction. "Katara knew _exactly_ what she was getting into. And you can't just stop being the Avatar because your friends are in danger. You need to man up and accept the fact that, yeah, she's gone. But we're here to get her _back_."

Aang sunk into the water again, humbled by her words. "It's just hard," he mumbled. "She's my best friend. What if they hurt her?"

Toph grinned ferociously. "Then we'll hurt them back."

He wasn't sure he liked that answer, but if Katara came back to them limping and bruised, he knew he'd be perfectly capable of that.

He just wasn't sure he'd know when to stop.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for your feedback, everyone! :) I had a lot of fun writing this, and it makes me happy to know you guys are having fun reading it!


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm Better With You**

**Chapter 4**

Muscle Man slammed a kick into her ribs, and Katara gasped, curling into herself. He kicked her again and she felt something crack. She whimpered and wished she could move her arms. Wished she could fight _back_ somehow.

But she was trapped again. And this time, Ryuu was right alongside her, bound and gagged.

And that was _her_ fault.

"You could have gotten away, Ambassador," Masaru said, regarding her thoughtfully. "You were on the deck. You could have just swum away. But your attachment to those Earth Kingdom men and your new friend here—" he shoved a fireball at Ryuu, who screamed as his skin blistered. "It baffles me."

"Stop it," she gasped, watching Ryuu tearfully. "Leave him alone. I coerced him. He didn't mean to do it."

"Oh, I think he knew _exactly_ what he was doing," Masaru snapped, losing his composure. "He was betraying me, betraying our cause, just because he felt a kinship with you, the war prisoner. Did he ever tell you he was captured by the Earth Kingdom?"

Katara clenched her eyes shut as Masaru gripped Ryuu's face. Ryuu yelled, his scream torn from his throat as Masaru's fingers _ignited_.

"Stop," she cried.

Muscle Man kicked her again, and this time, a rib definitely snapped. Deep breaths ached, so she settled for shallow ones that made her vision swim.

Masaru stepped away from Ryuu, bending to her level. His hand still smoked. "He was in enemy hands for weeks. When he came back, he barely remembered how to bend. But I took him in, and I reminded him of his power, and _this is how he repays me_!" He spun on his heels and blasted Ryuu's feet. The chair he sat on crumbled, and he topped to the ground, groaning.

Masaru cleared his throat and looked back to Katara. "I need you. But I don't need him. If you try anything like that again, I'll burn him alive right in front of you."

He stood and stalked from the room. Muscle Man closed the door, and heavy locks clanked into place.

Katara was bound by thick chains that snaked around her body, giving her even less mobility than before. But she somehow managed to inch towards Ryuu, who lay on the floor, moaning. She pressed her forehead against his. His skin was warm, and she could feel the agony in his blood.

In his blood? Katara clenched her jaw. The full moon must be close if she was noticing people's _blood_ again. She forced herself to whisper soothing words to distract them both.

"It'll be okay, Ryuu. We'll get out of this. Aang and Sokka and the rest of my friends will come to help us. I promise."

Ryuu coughed, shifting his head to take advantage of the cold metal floor. "W-why didn't you run?"

"He would have killed you and my men."

"But you would have been safe. You could have gotten away."

Katara pushed herself against the nearby wall, managing to get into a sitting position. Pain wracked her right side and her head spun, but she stayed upright. Shallow breaths. Don't panic. _You're getting enough air, Katara. I promise_.

It felt like she wasn't.

"Getting away… wouldn't be worth it," she said between gasps. "Not for that."

Ryuu went quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, he seemed to choke on the words. "I wasn't in the army then. My family and I lived in the colonies, and they burned our home one night. Mother died there."

Katara could relate. But she couldn't imagine her own element turning against her like that. No wonder he stopped bending.

"Dad and I… were imprisoned in the mines," he said, clenching his eyes shut. His burns were shiny and red, shaped like a handprint over his face. Katara felt fury burning her gut. Ryuu swallowed hard. "He died in a rockslide. A few days later, the Fire Nation armies liberated us. A few _days_, Katara. They were only a few days late."

She leaned against the metal wall, lulled by the rocking of the ship. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine how hard that was…"

"Masaru helped," he said quietly. "So when he broke off to form the Resistance, I came along. I thought… I thought it was right to kill the people who took my family."

Katara closed her eyes. She knew that feeling _all_ too well. She was just grateful she'd had someone to turn her from that path. And now, apparently, she was that person for Ryuu.

"Killing for revenge is never right," she said quietly, quoting Aang's philosophy. The fury in her gut cooled, and she steadied her breathing, meditating like he taught her. It helped, and her dizziness faded. She felt stronger.

She wouldn't kill Masaru. No matter what he did to her or Ryuu or Charan or the others, it wasn't her right to take his life. If Aang could spare Ozai, then she could offer the same mercy.

Ryuu sighed and tried to shift into a more comfortable position. He was hurting, she could tell, but he seemed to realize her sudden peace. He said quietly, "I know that now. You should have left when you had the chance. Dying is probably what I deserve."

"Don't say that," she said sharply. "I'm going to get everyone out of this alive. Trust me."

And Ryuu looked into her eyes and said, "I do, Katara."

* * *

Toph crept to the top of the mountain. She could feel Sokka trailing behind. Frankly, considering he could actually _see_, he was doing a poor job of maneuvering through the brush. When he crashed to the ground and sent vibrations into her _skull_, she grit her teeth and stamped the ground.

Sokka yelped as he flew through the air, landing beside her with another bone-jarring _thump_.

"Not appreciated, Toph," he said, pushing to his feet. "Not. Appreciated."

"Maybe if you didn't stomp through the forest like a komodo rhino, I wouldn't need to resort to earthbending," she retorted, digging her toes into the soil to check for enemies. Zuko was hiking on the other side of the island and Aang was leaping right between the volcanoes, but aside from them, nothing.

"No one's here," she said, frowning. "This place is empty except for us."

Sokka crawled past her, peeking over the boulders that lined the slope of the mountain. Toph didn't follow. She could see just as well standing right where she was.

The island was round, rising in the middle to accommodate an enormous, dormant volcano. A second volcano protruded just beyond the first. The outer ring of the island was covered in dense vegetation, but she could feel a large clearing near the opposite beach. Beneath the clearing, buildings, preserved after the volcano's last eruption.

Considering it was abandoned, it was a decent place to make an exchange like this. But Toph didn't like it. She could feel the memories in the soil, and she felt like they were disturbing Avatar Roku, tromping over his grave like this.

"I don't see anyone yet," Sokka said over his shoulder. "But we still have a few hours until nightfall. I bet that's when they show up."

"I still say we just ambush their ship," Toph replied as Sokka slid away from his vantage point. He skidded to a stop next to her, kicking up dirt. She glanced in his direction. "Catch them off guard. If it's Fire Nation, it's made of metal. They wouldn't stand a chance." She grinned.

Sokka sighed, "Aang is afraid of endangering Katara. If we don't follow their rules, she could get hurt."

"Yeah, I know," Toph said, dropping to the ground. She flicked her fingers, and a slab of rock emerged from the ground. She leaned against it comfortably. "What do _you_ think we should do, Mr. Idea Guy?"

Sokka was quiet for a moment. Finally, he said, "I agree with you, actually. Fighting on a ship—airship or Navy ship—would be better than letting them ambush us on land. The hallways of the ship would keep the enemy from surrounding us, and we could find Katara no problem with you there."

Toph beamed at the praise. She loved offhanded comments like that. In the beginning, he was the one to make her feel genuinely useful, rather than some pompous rich girl on a countryside vacation. She still liked the occasional reminder.

Sokka didn't seem to notice her smile. He kept talking. "But really, it's Aang's decision."

"She's _your_ sister," Toph remarked.

He sat next to her, spreading his legs out and leaning back on his hands. Their shoulders almost touched, and she was glad he couldn't feel the earth like she could, because he'd definitely notice her heartbeat stutter.

"Yeah, but he loves her _way_ more than I do," he joked, his tone light and amused.

Toph doubted that, but she chuckled anyway and said, "If you say so."

Sokka folded his arms under his head and eased onto the ground. "Anyway. I forgot to ask. How's your school going?"

When Appa landed in her courtyard, they only stuck around long enough to get _her_. They didn't see her students. Toph furrowed her brows and said, "Well, it was going fine until you stole me away in the middle of the night. I really have no idea what the lily-livers are doing right now."

Sokka bolted upright, "What? So you didn't give them _any_ instruction before you disappeared?"

"No time. Besides, it's not the first time that's happened," she replied easily. "Most likely, they're either practicing their drills or they've high-tailed it to Republic City. And if it's the latter, I'll have a fun day trip tracking them all down."

She grinned wider, already anticipating hunting her students through the streets of Republic City.

Sokka stared. "You're crazy."

"Probably," she shrugged. "What about you? Why didn't you bring Suki to help with this?"

His tone went glum, "She was too far out of the way. I barely got Aang to get you and Zuko, and Kyoshi Island's in the opposite direction. I didn't even suggest it."

"Wow. For the Avatar, he didn't really think this through."

"I know, right?" Sokka said. "Suki's probably worried. I told her I'd come visit ages ago, but I didn't even think to send a letter and tell her what's happened…"

Toph heard the despair in his voice and sunk lower against her rock-chair. He really loved Suki. She couldn't blame him—the girl was capable and tall and probably beautiful and… not blind. That was the perfect package, right?

Toph had resolved herself to a simple friendship with Sokka years ago. But it was easier to accept that when they had a whole Earth Kingdom between them. Here, with his body so close to hers, his humor and his plans and his unwitting flattery, Toph just felt miserable about it.

So she changed the subject. "Does Aang still want you to head the high council in Republic City?"

Sokka groaned. The ground vibrated as he dropped onto his back again. "Yeah. But it's hard enough seeing Suki when I live in Ba Sing Se! Can you imagine how often we'd see each other if I moved across the Kingdom?"

Well, that backfired. He was talking about Suki again.

Toph tried to keep her voice light. "What if she moves with you?"

"She won't do that. She stops by for a visit sometimes, but her home is that stupid island," Sokka said bitterly. Toph could tell they'd had this conversation before. "I really think I should just abandon this 'ambassador' stuff and… farm pickles… or something."

"Can you farm pickles?" Toph asked skeptically.

"I don't know!" Sokka exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. "But at least that's something I could do on Kyoshi Island, with her."

It seemed like being with Suki would bore him stiff, if that's the life he'd have to lead. Still, it wasn't her place to say that. She smirked and nudged his shoulder and said instead, "Well, if you decide to take Aang up on the offer, I only live a little ways outside Republic City. You'd still have me."

Sokka laughed and said, "Thanks, Toph. I'll keep that in mind."

His tone was flippant, an empty promise at best. Toph smiled wider and wondered if the earth could feel her heart aching.

* * *

Katara had started cataloguing her aches and pains ages ago, and it felt like an absurdly long list. Her cracked ribs, her half-healed broken arm, her potentially dislocated shoulder, her aching muscles, her stiff legs, her cramping feet, her mild burns, her head, her lungs, her throat…

And that didn't even count the gnawing hunger, the crippling exhaustion, the dizzying vertigo.

Aang was going to _kill_ these people. And she wouldn't have the energy to stop him this time.

The ship lurched, and she groaned as her head slammed into the wall. Add one more to the list. She inched forward to prevent further injury and glanced at Ryuu. He was awake now, eyes wide, lips pursed.

"We're here," he breathed.

"Roku's Island?" Katara said, listening hard. They were still on the ocean—she could feel the gentle rocking of the waves. But she also heard yelling, the clatter of footsteps. A ship full of soldiers heading to war.

Heading right to Aang.

"I've got to do something," she said, pushing herself upright. Her body screamed in protest, but she grit her teeth and edged closer to Ryuu. "If I get close enough, do you think you can burn the chains open?"

Ryuu had use of his fingers, and he snapped to see if he had a flame. The small fire danced merrily on his forefinger, and he nodded slowly. "I probably can, but it'll hurt."

She wasn't an idiot. Hot fire with metal chains? She was going to get burned, no matter how careful he was. But she was desperate—she couldn't be the damsel in distress here. Aang would give himself willingly for her, and she couldn't just _let_ that happen.

"Do it," she said, twisting on her side to give him access to the chains near her hands.

At first, she didn't feel anything. Then the metal grew warm, then hot, then scorching. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but as the heat intensified, she actually drew blood. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to meditate the pain away, but it was too strong. She could feel her skin burning, boiling under the heavy chains.

It was pure _torture_, and it seemed everlasting.

Then Ryuu suddenly shifted, and the heat lessened. He said something, but over the throbbing in her ears, she couldn't quite hear. He nudged her frantically and she inched away, still disoriented. She felt faint, detached from her body, numb all over.

The door swung open, and Masaru marched into the room. He surveyed them with satisfaction, his eyes wide, his smile dangerous. "There you are, Ambassador. I've been looking everywhere for you."

She breathed heavily, shallowly, staring absently at the metal flooring. She was slowly regaining her senses.

She was still bound.

It didn't work.

"It's time," Masaru said, hauling her to her feet. He had to support her, since she didn't have the mobility or the strength to stand on her own. He tossed her to Muscle Man, who caught her with ease and practically towed her out of the room.

Masaru slammed the door on Ryuu. Katara didn't know if that was good or very, very bad.

They brought her further below deck, to a small docking station in the bow of the ship. Masaru waved at two soldiers, who saluted and cranked open the hull. Muscle Man threw her onto the small boat, climbed in beside her. Masaru stepped in with all the regal grace of a prince.

Katara would have rolled her eyes if she didn't think it would make her pass out.

Two more soldiers pushed the boat down the hull's ramp, and they splashed into the water. It was dark outside, but the full moon was bright and the water that sloshed into the boat cooled her skin. She felt empowered again, surrounded by her element, Yue's light beaming onto her.

Masaru faced the island and Muscle Man worked the furnace to power the boat and they sped towards land. No one was watching Katara. She twirled her fingers and called a bit of water to her hands.

Normally, she'd just harden the water and break the chains, but that was loud and she didn't think she could swim in this condition. Masaru would probably kill her before they even reached the shore.

Instead, she worked the water into the lock near her hands, saturating it. Then she clenched her fists and the water hardened into ice. The lock clicked open as the ice expanded, and the sound was lost over the roaring of the furnace.

She was free. But she clutched the lock in her hands, because they couldn't know that yet.

She realized that they hadn't taken anyone else to the exchange. That was very strange—why would Masaru have a whole army aboard that ship and not bring _anyone_ for backup? She glanced at the ship again, but she couldn't see anything happening on deck.

"I don't see the Avatar," Masaru said, sounding slightly crazed. He whirled on Katara. "Where is he?"

"If he's smart, far away from here," she said.

"There," Muscle Man said. It was the first thing she'd heard him speak, and silence fell as they followed his finger. Katara's gut clenched. _Appa_. He was there, circling the island, high in the clouds. And that meant that Aang wasn't far behind.

She didn't know whether to be relieved or frustrated.

But she certainly wasn't surprised.

They pulled to the shore, and Masaru waded onto the beach. Muscle Man heaved Katara over his shoulder, obviously being careful to keep her out of the water. She scoffed—like a few feet would make a difference—and clenched the opened lock tightly.

Not yet.

Appa landed hard on the grassy field just past the beach. Aang leapt off his head and touched down gently beside him.

Muscle Man threw Katara onto the sand. She yelped in pain and nearly let go of the lock. At the last second, she tucked her hands underneath her and stared at the sky.

At the moon.

Almost time.

* * *

Aang felt fury burn inside him as he watched Katara. She looked _horrible_, ragged and pale and covered in bruises and burns. And the way they just tossed her aside, like a sack of potatoes or something! He clenched his fists and it was a physical effort to keep the sand from burying them alive.

But now wasn't the time. He had to buy a few minutes for Zuko, Sokka, and Toph to get aboard their ship. None of this so-called "Resistance" would escape.

He stepped forward, close enough to speak without having to yell. "I'm here. Let Katara go."

The soldier who hadn't been carrying Katara stepped forward, clearly the spokesman for their little group. "We will, Avatar. But we need your help first."

"Aang, they want to revive Fang!" Katara said. The big man behind her slammed his foot into her side, and she screamed.

The waves roiled behind them. "Stop hurting her!" Aang snarled, barely keeping himself contained. The soldier waved a hand, and the big man hauled her off the sand and ignited his hand. The flame danced by Katara's face, and she watched with wide eyes.

"You'll do what we say, or we'll kill her," the soldier said with a laugh.

Behind them, Appa roared ferociously. Aang waved him down and turned back to the Resistance leader, his face screwed in fury. "Roku's dragon died a hundred years ago. He's _gone_."

The soldier twitched and said, "That's a lie. You will revive it for me. Its body lay beneath the earth just on that cliff." He pointed at Roku's grave. "Just as you slept for a hundred years, Avatar, so did the dragon. But now it's time to awaken."

"Fang is nothing more than a _spirit_ now. I've seen him myself," Aang said desperately. To think, they kidnapped Katara over… over some stupid _myth_. He couldn't believe a whole ship of people would go this far for something so insubstantial.

"I told you it won't work, Masaru," Katara said, and suddenly the chains binding her dropped into the sand. She extinguished the big guy's flame with a whip of water, then shoved him away from her. He stumbled. A wave rose with her hands, and the big guy toppled under the water.

She turned to the soldier, but she was limping, clutching her side, gasping for breath. Before any of them could react, the soldier snatched her arm and forced her to her knees. Katara writhed away from him, gasping in pain.

"You're both lying! The dragon exists, and he _will_ be revived, and Firelord Ozai will regain his bending once again!"

Aang could see the soldier's fingers glowing. He was _burning_ her.

Aang lost it. His vision went black for a moment, and when it returned, everything lit in a glorious hue. Aang rose into the air and focused solely on the soldier. The man was a black smudge of evil, just like Ozai had been. Beside him, Katara glowed a calming blue, but it was disrupted by red, the color of fear.

He would _kill_ the man who made her fear.

Aang waved a hand, and the ocean swelled under his command. Their boat submerged under waves twice the size of Katara's. The big man was pulled into the sea, and Aang made sure he was pushed too far out to swim back.

He would drown there.

The soldier was the only one left. Katara was screaming, and the soldier was hurting her, and he wouldn't allow that. He swept a gust of wind between them, pushing the soldier into the sand and Katara further down the beach. Away from harm.

The soldier tried to attack, but his flames were pathetic, nothing compared to the awesome power of a fully-realized Avatar. Aang batted them away like an annoying bug, stepping onto the sand. He flicked his hands and the soldier was encased in rock, trapped.

"It's payment, Avatar," the soldier said manically, laughing and laughing.

And then he realized Katara still hadn't moved.

* * *

A/N: I think that Toph and Sokka are the freaking cutest couple ever, but I love the angst of it being one-sided. So yeah, that's what you get here. :P Also, Aang being protective, because isn't that just adorable too? :3


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry this one's posted so late in the evening. I actually had to work today. *le gasp!* (I'm only saying that because 28 days out of 30, I'm not working. I'm just sitting around waiting to be called into work. Ah, the life of a flight attendant. :3 )

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**I'm Better With You**

**Chapter 5**

"Considering that this is a Navy ship, that was absurdly easy," Sokka said, strolling up the makeshift staircase that Toph had bent out of the metal hull. The two hauled themselves out of the water and followed. He paused in the dark hallway and glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, Zuko. A little light?"

"Why do I feel like we're pulling all the weight?" Zuko grumbled to Toph, but he flicked his finger and summoned a flame.

Sokka folded his arms, "I'm the idea guy, remember? You two are the muscle. Now come on. If we capture the captain, we shouldn't get much of a fight from the rest of them. Toph?"

She slammed her foot onto the metal. Then she pointed. "Up the stairs, second hallway on the left, then up more stairs."

"Perfect," Sokka said, pleased with himself. He gripped his club and started for the staircase. Suddenly, the floor rippled, and he tripped. "Oww. What, Toph? You could have just _said_ something."

She had a hand on the wall, her eyes closed. "They have prisoners. Three on the deck above ours, and one more chained in a room near the bow."

Sokka frowned. He knew they'd have prisoners—they'd seen the leader take Katara to the beach, but she'd been traveling with three other men. Still, it created a problem. The captain was their main priority, but he couldn't just leave those people either.

"Okay," he said after a moment, pushing to his feet. "Toph, you get the prisoners. Zuko, you and I will take the bridge." He glanced at the hole Toph had made in the side of the ship and rubbed his neck. "Probably close that too, since we don't want the ship sinking before we can get it back to the Fire Nation Capital."

Toph huffed. The metal wailed as it welded back into the hull.

Zuko winced at the sound. "If they didn't know we were here before, they do now."

"Then let's hurry," Sokka said.

It didn't take long. They found an armada on the second deck. Fifteen soldiers thundering down the hallway, bellowing war cries as they brandished swords and balls of fire.

Toph planted her feet and ripped the wall off, sandwiching the soldiers between two sheets of metal. She held them there and jerked her head at Sokka, "Get the prisoners."

He slid around the soldiers and dove into the newly-opened room. The three Earth Kingdom citizens watched in horror. He waved his hands, "Relax. We're here to get you out." He brandished his club and broke the chains holding them to the wall.

"Thank you," the tallest one said, bowing slightly as his men sprinted from the room. "We have to rescue Ambassador Katara as well. She refused to escape without us, so we won't leave without her."

Sokka smirked, "Of course she wouldn't. Don't worry. The Avatar's got her covered."

"Sokka," Toph grunted, and he ushered the man out of the room. Once they were clear, Toph spun the metal into a circle, engulfing all the soldiers. Then she shoved it into the emptied room and used the other wall to block the hole, successfully enclosing them inside.

Zuko blinked. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Noted," Toph said smugly, and they ran on. At the next deck, she waved at the three prisoners. "You all follow me. We have one more person to save. Be careful, Sokka, Zuko." She spun and sprinted down the hallway. The prisoners exchanged glances and thundered after her.

Zuko and Sokka kept climbing. Sokka paused by a small window, and he could see soldiers amassing on the deck. Beyond that, he could see the scene on the beach. He cursed. "Aang's in the Avatar state."

"Do you see Katara?"

Sokka squinted, but it was too dark. "No," he said grimly.

Footsteps pounded up the staircase, and Zuko frowned, igniting his hand with flame. "We have company. I'll hold them off. You get the captain."

Sokka nodded and sprinted up the rest of the stairs. He tuned out the sound of battle, mentally preparing himself for what he'd find on the bridge. Elite soldiers protecting their leader? Or a powerful firebender determined to roast him alive?

He kicked the door open and yelled, "Surrender and you won't be harmed!"

And the old man at the helm yelped and dropped his teacup.

Sokka paused, blinking in confusion. There wasn't anyone else in the bridge. Just an old man and a steaming pot of tea. "Where's the captain?" he finally said, lowering his club.

"T-that's me," the man said. "But if you want the Resistance leader, I'm afraid he's doing battle with the Avatar."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. This wasn't what he expected, but he was Water Tribe, and they went with the flow. He could get a bit of information from this guy, at least. "What's the Resistance planning to do with Aang?"

The captain swallowed hard, "I don't know. Masaru went _crazy_. We're following his orders, but he's obsessed with reviving a dragon."

"Dragons don't exist anymore," Sokka said.

The captain scoffed and poured himself another cup of tea. "Try telling _him_ that. Really, everyone's just waiting for the Avatar to subdue him so we can get on with our lives."

This was a little too weird for Sokka. To think, the guy who kidnapped Katara didn't actually have any followers.

Not that he was exactly _comforted_ by that. If his men didn't believe in his ideals, then they must be following him out of fear. And Katara had been in this guy's hands for six days now. What kind of torture did she endure?

"Fine," he said, folding his arms. "Why does he want a dragon?"

The captain sipped his tea and said offhandedly, "He thinks a dragon can restore Ozai's bending."

"But that's impossible!" Sokka said, frustrated.

The captain bobbed his head, "I know! All I wanted was a peaceful retirement, but Masaru coerced me with a nice payout. And when I realized he was crazy, I tried to leave, but he almost burned me alive! So now I'm stuck sailing this ship for a madman!"

Sokka rubbed his forehead. Behind him, Zuko barreled into the room, panting, "I took care of the troops. Did you get—" He broke off, staring at the old man before them. He glanced around the room. Back to the captain. To Sokka. "What's going on?"

"The guy who kidnapped Katara is insane," he replied. "Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?"

The ship lurched sideways, and everyone stumbled. A wave? If so, it was too big for the nice weather outside. Sokka ran to the window and squinted at the beach. He saw Aang's tattoos stop glowing. Saw him drop to the sand. Saw him scoop up something.

Some_one_.

"Oh no," Sokka said.

_Katara_.

* * *

She'd fought. She'd been in enemy hands for almost a week, but she'd still _fought_. Aang expected nothing less, but the realization made him sad. How many of these injuries were a direct result of her _fighting_?

He lifted her from the beach and carried her to the grass. Appa ambled closer, and Aang jerked his head towards the soldier. "Keep an eye on him, Appa," he said angrily. The bison snorted and leapt into the air, dropping loudly beside the soldier.

Aang refocused on Katara. She was battered. Broken. Her eyes were closed and her breathing stuttered and he could barely feel her heartbeat.

This was _his_ fault. He didn't get here fast enough. He should have circled the Fire Nation and found their ship sooner. He should have never sent her to the Capital in the first place. He should have stayed _with_ her, because then she'd always be safe.

Aang pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. Her skin felt hot, fevered. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Katara."

She didn't reply. He rested her on his lap and pulled water from the ocean. She'd taught him a few things about healing. He couldn't do it well, but it was better than nothing. Better than sitting here feeling sorry for himself.

The moon's light seemed to shine brighter as water encased his hands.

He started with her heart. It wasn't beating strongly, and that alarmed him. He pressed his hands to her chest and imagined it beating regularly, _thump-thumping_ in time with his. When it responded, he moved to her ribs. He could feel the broken bones, feel the way one pushed against her lungs.

He tried to fix that too.

He sat there in the grass, holding the girl he loved, using her element to breathe life back into her. It was a slow process. He thought about the time she'd saved his life, sat for weeks and bent him well again. She'd worked herself raw healing him.

He'd do the same.

And eventually, she shifted in his arms. He let the water fall to the ground, knelt over her, held his breath. "Katara?" he whispered. "Come on, Sweetie. Open your eyes for me."

She coughed, groaned, and met his gaze. "Aang," she said, smiling slightly. Relief colored her tone. She was exhausted, but she chuckled weakly and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Aang, _spirits_, I missed you."

"Me too, Katara," he said. The tension seeped from his body, and he laughed with her, pulling her close against his chest. "You really scared me."

She drew a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I almost escaped, but I… I couldn't leave the men on that ship with him. I just couldn't."

"I understand," he replied.

The world seemed to realign. All the anger, the fury, the fear… it just vanished, a weight lifted from his shoulders. Katara was back in his arms, exactly where she should be. That was all that mattered.

"What did you do with Masaru?" she said. Her breath was hot on his neck, and it sent chills through his body. He fought the distraction and glanced over his shoulder at the soldier, the man he assumed was Masaru. Appa was standing next to him, growling as Masaru struggled.

"I trapped him," Aang said. "I sent the other guy out to sea."

Katara straightened, "He'll drown out there!"

"So?" Aang said bitterly, tightening his hold on her. He recalled how the guy had kicked her without hesitation, and he just couldn't bring himself to care.

But Katara pushed out of his arms and stood with visible effort. She wobbled, and Aang was at her side in an instant, his arm wrapped around her waist. She gave him a grateful smile and said, "Appa!"

The sky bison lumbered over and opened his mouth as if to lick her. Aang stepped between them and said sternly, "No, buddy. She doesn't need that right now."

Appa tilted his head and nuzzled Katara gently instead. She smiled and ran her fingers through his fur. "We need to fish Muscle Man out of the water. Can you fly us out?" she asked. Appa grumbled, like he wasn't happy about it either, but Aang leapt them both into the saddle and the bison pushed off the ground.

It didn't take long to find the guy. He was spluttering and splashing and yelling, and Appa roared in reply. Katara moved to bend him out of the water, but Aang shot her a firm glance and did it himself. He froze the guy in ice and deposited him in the saddle, as far from Katara as he could.

"There," he said grudgingly.

The big guy thrashed, but he wasn't going anywhere.

Katara took Aang's hand and squeezed. "Thank you. I know you would have regretted that later."

He didn't want to admit it, but she was probably right. Instead, he kissed her forehead and leapt onto Appa's head, steering the bison to the ship with a flick of the reigns. Sokka was on deck, waving frantically. Appa landed heavily, and the ship rocked under his weight. Aang picked Katara up and leapt onto the metal deck.

"You got her!" Sokka exclaimed, crashing into them. He laughed and hugged Katara and Aang for a few seconds. Then he stepped back and cleared his throat, looking amused. "I mean, hey, sis."

"Hey, Sokka," she replied warmly, stepping away from Aang to hug him herself. He gripped her tightly and mouthed, "_Thank you_," to Aang, who nodded with a smile. Katara stepped back, and Aang took her waist again. She leaned into him wearily. "Did you get the prisoners?"

"We got the whole ship," Sokka replied proudly. "We're going to sail it right back to the Capital. The Resistance is officially disbanded."

Katara frowned, "There's a fourth prisoner, a man named Ryuu. He helped me while I was here."

"Toph got him too," Sokka waved her concerns away. "Seriously, Katara, we have this under control. They're rounding up the last of the soldiers, and Zuko found a hawk and sent word to the palace. His Navy should intercept us soon."

"Wow, everyone's here, huh?" she glanced at Aang, who shrugged.

"Sokka's idea."

Sokka waved a hand and looked very amused, "What else is new?"

Katara glanced over her shoulder, and Aang followed her gaze. She was watching the soldier on the beach, encased in rock. Aang narrowed his eyes, but she sighed. "He was confused, I think. I hope he can stand trial."

"Yeah, well, the Fire Nation isn't really known for their due process," Sokka said, folding his arms. "Zuko will probably just sentence him to death, if Aang doesn't first."

"I wouldn't—" Aang said, but he cut himself off because before Katara woke up, that's _exactly_ what he'd planned to do. The thought humbled him. He was too emotional around her. He forgot all his training, all his control.

And that was dangerous for everyone.

He sighed instead and said, "Hang on, I'll get him."

Then he left Katara with her brother to retrieve the man he'd been ready to kill.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that was only two separate chapters. I think that's a new record. :P See you Saturday! (... Sunday? Jeez, I should really remember when I post these things...)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Home stretch now! :D This is actually my favorite chapter. Let me know what you think!

* * *

**I'm Better With You**

**Chapter 6**

Zuko glared at the man who'd kidnapped Katara. Masaru, she'd called him. Well, Masaru didn't really look like much of a threat. He was chained and gagged and half-frozen in ice—a parting gift from Aang.

All the same, Zuko felt furious. Abducting one of his friends was bad enough, especially when she was on a diplomatic mission to the Fire Nation. But Masaru was the physical representation of the Resistance, the first group to maliciously plot against his taking the throne.

Zuko should be pleased that they'd snuffed out the last, limping piece of the Resistance. The soldiers would be imprisoned. Masaru would be executed. Threat over. Except he was still worried about their mentality. His father's bending was gone, but if people _still_ thought him a better Firelord… well.

The Fire Nation definitely needed more time to settle into the war's end. And Zuko would have to remain on-guard, because where there was one radical group, there was bound to be more.

He really needed to change that law. Although once he proposed to Mai, the law wouldn't matter. She'd take the throne before Ozai or Iroh or anyone else if something happened to him. And he knew she'd do a damn fine job.

Sokka stepped into the room and said, "They're gone."

"Good," Zuko replied. "My palace healers might not be waterbenders, but they do a fine job. Katara will get the rest she needs."

Sokka nodded and glanced at Masaru. His expression darkened, and he said, "We could just push him overboard now. No one has to know. We'll say he… tried to escape. Unavoidable accident."

Masaru screamed against his bindings. He thrashed like Azula did when Zuko went to visit, and it was setting Zuko on edge. He grit his teeth. It would be so easy to just do what Sokka wanted, but… "We can't. Aang wouldn't forgive us."

"You mean Katara wouldn't. Aang seemed pretty okay with the idea," Sokka mused. "And honestly? I can handle Katara's wrath."

"I can't," Zuko replied. "She's terrifying."

"It takes years, man," Sokka replied, clapping him on the back.

Zuko rubbed his forehead and said, "Let's go. He's not going anywhere."

They left Masaru bound in the belly of his ship, climbing the decks to the bridge. The ship was empty—before Toph left, she'd thrown all the soldiers into the cargo hold, bound in individual sheets of metal. The three Earth Kingdom citizens stayed behind to stoke the furnace, and the captain was left to steer the ship.

The firebender Katara befriended needed medical attention, so he went ahead with Toph and Katara and Aang.

Still, without a full staff, this ship wasn't going anywhere fast. They just had to sit tight until his Navy arrived to escort them back to the Capital. It couldn't come fast enough—Zuko was ready to return home. Watching Aang hold Katara like a lifeline had him desperate to see Mai.

Desperate to see if the palace jeweler was done with the ring.

"Can I ask you something?" Zuko asked as the climbed. "Do you ever think about marrying Suki?"

Sokka stopped so abruptly that Zuko nearly crashed into him. He whirled on his feet and said, "Why? What has she told you?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Nothing. I haven't seen her in months."

A wry smile spread across Sokka's face, and he squinted at Zuko in the dim light of the stairwell. "This is about Mai, isn't it?"

"What? What makes you say that?" Zuko said defensively. What was he thinking, starting this conversation with Sokka? He hated talking about his love life.

And yeah, maybe he was annoyed Sokka pinned him so quickly.

"I was just asking. You don't have to tell me," Zuko said, pushing past Sokka. They stepped into the bridge and Zuko walked around the captain to take the helm. "I'll steer for a while," he said firmly. Steering would take his mind off Mai.

The captain shrugged and strolled off with his teapot, humming.

Sokka dropped into a chair by the door and was quiet for a moment. Then he admitted, "I love her, I really do."

Zuko paused, keeping his eyes on the dark water before them.

"I mean, she's beautiful and smart and sometimes I can't believe she'd go for a guy like me," Sokka said with a chuckle. "But I don't think I can marry her."

"Why not?" Zuko asked before he could stop himself.

Sokka heaved a sigh. "She'll never leave Kyoshi Island. I mean, she takes trips to help the Earth King sometimes, but she always goes back to that place. She wants to settle down there one day."

"And you don't," Zuko said.

"It's a small island. And after everything we've done? It just can't compare."

Zuko understood. And not for the first time, he thanked the spirits that Mai enjoyed the life of luxury and politics. If she didn't, their relationship would never have worked. He glanced over his shoulder at Sokka. "So what are you going to do?"

"Nothing right now," Sokka said wearily. "I'm just… enjoying our time together. She might change her mind."

Zuko doubted it, and he could tell from Sokka's tone that the warrior did too. But Zuko looked back at the ocean and said, "Yeah, maybe."

Sometimes, living a lie was the best option a man had.

* * *

She didn't remember arriving at the Fire Nation, and she didn't remember getting a room, but eventually she woke up in a plush bed. Soft music played. A flute? It seemed familiar, rousing images of a bag tied with crumpled ribbon, of an impromptu dance under a starry sky.

But she couldn't concentrate. The covers were heavy and the room was warm and she felt relaxed, safe, for the first time in a week. Her burns still throbbed and her body ached, but it was ignorable now. The music lulled her.

She slept a long time like that.

Eventually, she heard healers fussing. Salve pressed against her wounds, and she thought that no one could heal a burn better than the Fire Nation. Someone gave her water and someone else held a bowl of broth to her lips. Her strength returned slowly.

When night fell, Aang sat next to her, his hands glowing with water. He worked the knots in her back and shoulders, properly mended her left arm, checked the progress on her ribs. Under his callused hands, the bruises faded.

The memories didn't. Katara woke up several times convinced she was back on that ship, sweating out in the furnace room and at the mercy of a madman. Aang stroked her hair and whispered in her ear and eventually she remembered she wasn't alone anymore.

It was bright outside when she really awoke. The sunlight filtered past red drapes. Aang slept on top of the covers beside her, one hand over her stomach, another tangled in her hair. Katara bit back a yawn and smiled at him.

She hated the days when she woke up alone. They happened often; the Avatar was a busy person. But she'd gotten used to his warmth beside her, his comforting form keeping her safe. There was something calming about his presence.

When someone knocked on the door, she grudgingly sat up. Aang stirred, but she cupped his cheek and kissed him and breathed, "Go back to bed." He settled, muttering incoherently, relaxed. Katara swung her legs out from the covers and stood on shaky feet.

Her whole body ached dully, but nothing throbbed anymore. She walked unsteadily to the door and opened it. On the threshold, Toph looked annoyed.

"You're not supposed to be walking around, Katara," she said, folding her arms. "Don't think I wouldn't notice it's you."

Katara slipped out and closed the door to her bedroom. The hallway opened outside, lined with majestic pillars and lush red carpets, and a gentle breeze played with her hair. "I know. But Aang's asleep, and I'm sure he's tired."

Toph heaved a sigh, "You two _are_ oogie."

Katara smirked and leaned against the railing. Below them was a tranquil courtyard, and she could see noblemen and women strolling about, enjoying the day. "I never thanked you for coming to rescue me."

"From what Aang said, you didn't need much help," Toph replied, grinning. "And your firebender friend told me what you tried on the ship. You're insane, by the way."

"So I've been told," Katara said. "How's Ryuu?"

"He's fine. He's recovering in another wing." Toph shifted. "I actually came to tell Aang that the Navy ships are scheduled to arrive any time. Thought he might want to come to the docks with me to receive the prisoners."

She was trying to sound flippant, but Katara could see the excitement on her face at the prospect of the Navy ships. Or rather, the people _on _them. Katara smirked knowingly and said, "Must have been nice to see Sokka again. It's been a few months, right?"

Toph's face went pink. "I… Yeah, but I didn't care. I mean, under the circumstances—"

"Uh huh," Katara said, folding her arms. She felt bad for the younger girl. Sokka's relationship with Suki wouldn't last, and the Kyoshi warrior knew it. They'd talked about it extensively on more than one occasion.

But Sokka didn't seem to realize that Toph had the same feelings, and she was a long-term solution.

Ah well. Maybe one day.

"Well, I could go to the docks with you. It might be nice—"

"No way," Aang interrupted, pushing open the door. His clothes were wrinkled and he looked groggy, but he frowned at Katara all the same. "You're not supposed to be up. Those cranky healers are going to kill me if they see you walking around."

Katara rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, Aang. Really. Toph's about to go to the docks."

"Yeah, but I wasn't taking her," Toph said indignantly. She shot Katara a glare that said, _Stop trying to get me into trouble_. "The ships are supposed to be here soon, that's all. I didn't know if you'd want to come, Aang."

"All the same, I'd rather stay here. Katara will be challenging the palace firebenders to a duel if I'm not around to keep an eye on her." He grinned. She scoffed and swatted his arm.

"That's not true," she said, but a smile tilted her lips.

"Ulg," Toph said, throwing her arms skyward. "Fine. Go be oogie in your bedroom, away from my ears. I'll send Sokka and Zuko up when they get here."

Aang wrapped his arm around Katara's shoulders and said, "Please and thank you!"

Toph shook her head and walked away. Katara stepped into the bedroom before Aang could steer her inside, half-limping across the room. She sat on the bed, bouncing a bit as she spread out over the thick covers. The Fire Nation really did have the _best_ beds.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"Fine," she replied, flashing him a smile. She patted the bed, and he slid in beside her. She curled against him, their eyes level, blue meeting grey. "I missed you. More than you know."

He looked guilty, ashamed. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"Not your fault, and not the point," she replied, pressing her forehead against his. Somehow, it was more intimate than a kiss. Nearness like this used to make her blush at the thought, but now it felt as natural as breathing.

Aang still looked troubled. "Every time you get hurt, it's because someone's trying to hurt _me_. It's not fair."

"Life's not fair," she said, intertwining her fingers with his. "I knew what I signed on for, Aang. You can't blame yourself for someone else's actions."

"Yeah, but if we weren't together—"

"I'd have died a long time ago," she said simply.

He looked stricken.

Katara sighed and closed her eyes. "Let me try that again. Before I met you, my life was snow and penguins and chores."

"Sounded okay until the 'chores' part."

"Shh. Let me finish. It was life, but it was mundane. You showed me a whole other world. A world where I'm a master waterbender, where my boyfriend stopped a war, where the two of us actually made a _difference_. And a world like that comes with danger. But it also comes with hope and happiness, something I never would have found in the South Pole."

Aang was quiet for a moment. "I guess that's true," he said slowly.

"Of course it's true," she replied, squeezing his hand.

"But I can't be with you every second, Katara," he said, frowning. "What if something like this happens again? I can't… I couldn't take that."

Katara pulled back, considering him. "You just have to trust that I can protect myself. I almost got off that ship on my own, you know."

"I know," he said, sitting up. He clenched his eyes shut and tilted his head to the ceiling. "You're incredible, and I know that. But you can't blame a guy for worrying."

She could see where he'd wanted that conversation to go. She sat up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his. "Of course not," she said, "just as long as that _guy_ doesn't decide I'm better off without him."

Aang grinned sheepishly. "I kept thinking that, but I'm too selfish to let you go."

"Then we're agreed," Katara replied, leaning up for another kiss.

* * *

"They're here," Mai said unnecessarily.

Toph rolled her eyes, "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't tell when hulking masses enter the harbor." She turned towards the grating sound of stoked fire and groaning metal. Fire Nation ships: definitely not the _quietest_ in the world.

Mai huffed, "It was just an offhanded comment." She went silent as they waited for the ships to start emptying. Toph could feel her bouncing on her toes, the way her heartbeat sped up. She was thrilled about Zuko's early return.

Not that she'd ever _say_ that, of course.

Toph pictured the scene. Three large Navy vessels, side by side by side. Bystanders looking on in curiosity as the ships unloaded, revealing ex-military soldiers in chains. Then, the Firelord, stepping off with all the pompous grace he'd acquired with the title.

And then Sokka, who would regard her flippantly, talk to her like one of the guys. After all, that's all she was to him. A buddy to joke around with.

Toph drew a breath through the nose. There was a reason she went with Aang and Katara instead of sailing from Roku's Island with the prisoners. A big, empty ship, lots of time to think, and the possibility of Sokka cornering her unknowingly.

She couldn't handle it.

But now she had a duty to her friends, so she put on a stern face and stared unseeingly as the first of the prisoners stepped off the middle ship.

Mai shifted her weight. "Looks like our army didn't do a great job capturing the Resistance all those months ago," she said drily. "They missed quite a few."

"We're pretty sure most of these guys just got a big payout from the leader," Toph said. "But I guess you get to decide if they're actually guilty."

"They took your friend. I doubt Zuko will spare any of them," she replied. Toph didn't think Zuko would be so _final_, but maybe if he knew he'd get away with it… Aang would probably turn a blind eye to these particular prisoners.

Mai continued airily, "I told Katara that one of our airships would be a better form of travel. She was insistent on that little boat."

Toph shrugged, "She's stubborn, that's for sure."

She could tell the minute Zuko appeared on the deck. Mai's heartbeat actually _skipped_, and in the next minute, she wasn't standing beside Toph anymore. Toph could feel her pounding the earth as she ran to her boyfriend.

Toph felt miserable. She didn't have anyone like that. The only guy who made her heart skip that way loved _someone else_.

She followed Mai at a leisurely pace, making sure she wore her (faked) trademark smirk. She could hear Zuko speaking to Mai, who drawled a remark, as if she wasn't excited to see him, like she hadn't been waiting with anticipation all morning for a _glance_ of his ship on the horizon.

Toph folded her arms. Oogie-ness. Really, it was disgusting.

Sokka stepped off the ship next, but something was wrong. She could hear him muttering, feel the way he stumbled at the bottom of the ramp. He wasn't paying attention, and she doubted it had anything to do with her.

"What's wrong, Sokka?" she said firmly, stepping in front of him.

He stopped, bouncing on his heels. He didn't pause as he said grimly, "Masaru's gone."

"What?" Toph exclaimed, eyes wide. "What do you mean, gone? We left him in chains and _ice_! How can he be gone?"

"I don't know!" Sokka said, obviously beyond frustrated. "But when we left Roku's Island, he was tied up, and when we went to the lower deck to get him a few minutes ago, he _wasn't_. We don't know when we lost him, but can't have been too long ago."

Zuko and Mai stepped closer to them. She could hear Zuko's agitation. "I have my men looking for him. If he's in the Fire Nation, he won't go unfound."

"Yeah, because your army did such a great job finding him in the past," Toph said sarcastically, whirling on him. "I left you two with _one_ job. Just one. Keep the prisoner a _prisoner_."

"Hey, if you were so worried, you could have stayed and _helped_ us," Zuko snapped.

Sokka stepped between them, the peacemaker as always. "Fighting won't help. We need to get back to the palace and let Aang know. Masaru could go after Katara again." Toph heard the determination in his voice, but behind it, a hint of fear. Concern.

Toph couldn't help but reflect the sentiment.

* * *

Aang listened quietly to the news. Inside, he couldn't believe what he was hearing—that madman _escaped_?—but he kept his face impassive. Then he pulled Katara closer and said simply, "Okay. We're leaving."

She frowned at him, "We can't just _leave_. There's a known criminal roaming around. We have to track him down!"

Aang wanted to shake her in frustration. She already had nightmares about Masaru and her time on his stupid ship. But now that he was loose and obviously _insane_, she just _had_ to track him down? Was she out of her mind?

But he kept his voice steady.

"He going to target you again, Katara. And if he doesn't, he'll be coming after me. The best course of action is to remove ourselves," he replied, straightening his posture. He found that when he stood up straight, people didn't question his actions as much.

Of course, "people" weren't Katara.

She stepped away from him and scoffed, "He could hurt someone else. We can't just let him go free."

"My armies are working on it," Zuko said levelly. "I have a hundred men actively searching, and soon everyone in the Fire Nation will know his face. He'll have nowhere to go."

"Aang's right, Katara," Sokka said, regaining his sister's attention. "Masaru can't _swim_ to the Earth Kingdom. If he's after you, the best option is to leave and let Zuko's men sort this out. You can relax, recover, maybe have some of Iroh's tea, and eventually we'll get a message that Masaru's in prison. Problem solved!"

Katara narrowed her eyes. She wasn't happy about this. Aang knew it wasn't in her nature to leave something unsolved, but he also knew that sometimes, retreat was the best option. Maybe that was his Air Nomad mentality, but it had worked in the past and he knew it'd work here too.

"Please, Katara," he said. "For me?"

She held his gaze, and he gave her his best pleading look. Her eyes flickered to their friends. No one spoke. Finally, she heaved a sigh and said, "Fine. Go get Appa ready."

"Sure thing. Toph, will you stay with her?" he asked. He couldn't risk Masaru surprising her alone in their bedroom. Bad enough she was still recovering from serious injury, but without ready access to a body of water, she wouldn't stand much of a chance. It wasn't a full moon anymore.

The earthbender smirked and said, "Don't worry about a thing, Twinkle-toes."

Katara rolled her eyes at him—she saw right through his innocent request_—_and stalked into the bedroom. Aang knew he'd hear about that later, but now he led Sokka and Zuko down the hallway, intent on his task. Once they were out of earshot, he glanced at Zuko.

"I can't believe this happened. When did the world get so messed up?"

"About a hundred years ago," Sokka replied lightly.

Zuko shot Sokka a scowl, but he rubbed his forehead wearily nonetheless, "I'm sorry, Aang. I should have been watching Masaru more closely."

"It's not your fault," Aang said, frowning. "If I'd been smart, I'd have dealt with him myself."

"Hey," Sokka injected as they started down the stairs to the stables. "Do you think Masaru was onto something? Could a dragon really restore Ozai's bending? I mean, not a dead one, obviously, but if he found the masters like you two did?"

Aang drew a breath. It was something that had been bothering him since Masaru's rant on the beach. "I don't know. Maybe, since they did teach the ancients firebending. But he'd never get them to cooperate."

"That'd be an easy resolution to this problem, though," Zuko said with a smirk. "They'd burn him alive."

"We should be so lucky," Sokka sighed dreamily. They'd made it to the courtyard now, and were only a few steps from the stables.

When someone called, "Firelord," Zuko glanced over his shoulder. Aang watched curiously as an older man ran up to him and bowed hastily. "Firelord Zuko, I have the piece you requested."

He handed over a small wooden box. Aang and Sokka peered over Zuko's shoulder as he opened it. Inside was a gold ring, framed with rubies and etched with designs like fire. It was pretty, Aang supposed.

He and Sokka exchanged glances. He asked, "What's that for?"

"Thank you," Zuko said, ignoring him. The older man bowed again and walked away. Zuko glanced at the two of them and shook his head, pushing past them to enter the stables. Appa had his own stall at the very end, and he looked up as they approached.

Aang wasn't as concerned with getting Appa ready to go. He wanted to know what the deal was with that ring. He poked his friend's shoulder and asked again, "Zuko, what's that for?"

"Oh, oh, I know!" Sokka said, bouncing on his toes. "Zuko's gonna propose to Mai!"

"With a ring?" Aang said skeptically.

Zuko seemed to bristle at the words. "What's wrong with a ring?"

Aang could tell he'd broached a tender subject. He held up his hands and quickly said, "Nothing, nothing!" Zuko grumbled something and grabbed Appa's reigns, leading him outside. Aang and Sokka followed, glancing at each other in amusement. "So when are you going to do it?" Aang asked.

"Soon," Zuko said shortly.

Sokka made kissing sounds, "Zuko and Mai, making—"

"Go ahead. Finish that sentence," Zuko said, igniting his hand and holding it dangerously close to Sokka's face. Aang could see the fire dancing in Sokka's wide eyes.

Sokka grinned nervously, "Never mind."

Aang was thinking about another issue. "Can I come to the wedding?" he asked eagerly. "Katara loves weddings. Says they represent all the good things in the world, hope and love and stuff. Oh, hey, can I marry you two? The Avatar can marry people, right?"

"Who's getting married?"

The boys froze at Mai's bored voice. They craned around Appa as she stepped into the courtyard, arms folded under wide sleeves, one delicate eyebrow raised. Zuko shoved the box into his pocket. Aang cleared his throat. Sokka shrugged nervously.

"Eh, just this couple we know in Ba Sing Se. They want Aang to officiate."

"Uh huh," Mai said, lowering her eyelids.

Aang grinned and leapt onto Appa's head and said, "Well, gotta go. We'll give you two some privacy." He winked exaggeratedly at Zuko. Sokka scrambled into Appa's saddle, and he clicked his tongue and said, "Yip yip!"

The bison rose into the sky, leaving Zuko alone with Mai.

* * *

A/N: I had to throw a Katara-Hope-Speech in there, just because I think they're hilarious. :P Anyway, the last chapter is the epilogue! See you all next Wednesday. :)


	7. Epilogue

A/N: This is it, guys! It's been an amazing ride, and I'm glad you all kept reading this far. When Korra starts up in a few weeks, I may post something else, but for now, this is the extent of my Avatar fics. Enjoy! :)

* * *

**I'm Better With You**

**Epilogue**

Sokka watched the Fire Nation Capital grow smaller and smaller. It flickered like a flame in the inky black of night, but overhead the moon was bright and the stars shone. All in all, a nice night for flying.

Aang was sitting with Katara, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. She gave him a grateful smile, to which he responded with a wide grin of his own. Even though Sokka hated thinking about his sister with _anyone_, he had to admit. They were a good couple.

Toph was sitting a few feet away from him. She gripped the saddle and stared blankly at the ocean below them, silent. Sokka saw her shivering slightly. It _was_ a bit nippy out tonight. He pulled another blanket from their pack and handed it to her.

"Here," he said. She glanced in his direction, startled, and he remembered she couldn't see anything this high up. He took her hand and put it on the blanket. "To keep warm," he clarified.

Her cheeks colored, and she nodded, burrowing under the thick wool.

Sokka glanced at the moon. A few days ago, they'd been under this same sky, frantic that they wouldn't see Katara again. Now, even with Masaru loose in the Fire Nation, things seemed calm. Easy, like life used to be.

Katara glanced up, "Did anyone find the scrolls that Mai gave me a week ago? They had information Aang needed to see, but Masaru took them when he ambushed me."

Sokka looked at her incredulously, "Don't you think that would have been smart to mention _earlier_?"

"Yeah, what was I thinking, forgetting _that_ when I was recovering from a week in captivity?" Katara said sarcastically, shooting Sokka a scowl.

He folded his arms, "We forgive you."

Aang sighed and leaned against the saddle, one arm resting on Katara's shoulders. "I'll send Zuko a message to get me copies, okay, Sweetie?" He glanced at her, smiling slightly. She pecked his cheek as an answer.

Toph glanced at Sokka, her nose wrinkled in disgust. He couldn't blame her.

But that reminded him. He was one day closer to seeing Suki again. He grinned widely and said, "Well, back to the grind. Hey, Aang, you didn't come up with a solution for those old Fire Nation colonies, did you?" That was the only thing standing in his way of a very long vacation.

On Kyoshi Island.

With Suki.

Aang tilted his head and said, "Well, I was thinking about it. What if we do something like a visa to enter the Earth Kingdom? Firebenders can apply, and the Earth King will personally approve who comes in and where they work."

Sokka stared. It was such a simple conclusion. He'd been working on this problem for _months_, and Aang figured it out in a week! A week, he might add, filled with turmoil and panic due to the loss of his girlfriend.

Unbelievable.

"Yeah," Sokka said glumly. "That'll work."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd be happier about that. Now you can see Suki."

"I guess," he replied, still annoyed that Aang had outthought him. He was the _idea_ guy. If he didn't have that, what was left? Meat and sarcasm could only get him so far.

Katara giggled. "Oh, Aang, you hurt his pride."

"Sokka has pride?" Aang joked, and they laughed together.

Oh yeah. The _perfect_ couple.

Sokka spun to face Toph, because there was a girl who didn't get caught up in oogie-ness. She was staring at the ocean again, still clutching the blanket. He slid alongside her, bumped her shoulder against his.

"You happy to go home?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied with a shrug.

She didn't _sound_ happy. He frowned at her. "What's up?"

Toph was silent for a moment. Aang and Katara were speaking quietly to each other, so they had relative privacy. With a sigh, she turned towards him and said, "I missed you guys. I'm going to go back to my school and those lily-livers, and you guys will go back to Ba Sing Se, and we won't see each other for months. It's… it's just lonely."

Sokka hadn't thought about that. Aang and Katara traveled all the time, but their base of operations was the house in Ba Sing Se. Toph, on the other hand, lived and worked by Republic City. With all their committed duties, it was more than a kingdom between them.

"Well," he said slowly. "Keep your chin up, because the odds are good I'll take Aang up on that council offer soon."

Toph glanced at him, her smile wide and her voice excited. "Really?"

"Yeah," Sokka draped an arm over the saddle's railing, watching the stars. "It's a good job. Better than what I'm doing now, anyway—the Earth King doesn't really _need_ an ambassador. And honestly, I need to get away from Kyoshi Island eventually."

"What about Suki?" Toph asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know yet. But I think it'll work itself out."

He glanced over her shoulder at Aang and Katara. They looked so happy, and it was so easy for them, despite the distance. No matter where Aang's duties took him or Katara traveled in his stead, they always came back to each other. It was like they couldn't imagine it any other way.

It wasn't like that with him and Suki. It took effort, and he knew that was a problem.

"I guess we'll see," he said quietly.

The moon shone overhead.


End file.
